Canadian-Rangers | Drouin back, Primeau in front of the net, Brooks on waivers

Guillaume Lefrançois
Press

–

Drouin revealed that it was in the temple that he was hit by Brett Kulak’s shot on November 2. He then rushed to the locker room, and was examined at the hospital.

“It happened quickly. You get a puck on the head, it’s not something you’re used to, it’s not normal, said the number 92 at the end of the morning training of the CH. I saw black for a couple of minutes. We wanted to make sure I didn’t have any bleeding. ”

Drouin also confirmed what Dominique Ducharme had mentioned after Sunday’s game in Boston, namely that it was for a matter of comfort that he was not playing. He had trained with the reservists on Sunday morning.

“I had the green light, but the green light and feeling good is not the same for me,” he said. I was not feeling well that morning in Boston, I still had headaches. I felt good before I went to Boston, but I don’t know if it’s the two games in two nights, the sleep, but I didn’t feel good, I didn’t want to get into that game. ”

It all happened as the infirmary was overflowing. Two hours before the game against the Bruins, we learned before the game that Mike Hoffman was added to the crippled. And Artturi Lehkonen was an uncertain case (he finally played).

“We’ve got a lot of injuries, it’s hard to see other guys come out like ‘Hoff’,” Drouin admitted. So not playing in Boston was difficult. But you have to listen to your body and your head. ”

Did he feel pressure from his coaches to come back to the game?

” No no no. I do not think so. With the card we have, you don’t want to miss a game, but when you’re injured… It’s not an ankle pain, it’s a headache. I had a headache when I put on my helmet. It was a pressure I had here. But there is no more swelling, no more pressure when I put on my helmet. ”

The evening of his injury, Ducharme had employed him at the center, due to Mathieu Perreault’s absence. This time, the head coach brings Drouin back to the wing, with Christian Dvorak and Josh Anderson, his line-mates from the start of the season. Both forwards struggled during Drouin’s six games of absence; they had a small assist each, and Dvorak posted a -12 rating, against Anderson’s -9.

“Jo, we know what he’s capable of doing with the puck,” Ducharme recalled. When he is active he can create a lot of games. It can simplify the job of Dvorak, who needs to play less with the puck, who likes to go to the net, in the pay zone. It can help Dvorak and Anderson. ”

A diagnosis for Allen

For his part, Hoffman was placed on the injured list. He suffers from an upper body injury, but “it’s not the head,” said the coach. He spoke of a minimum absence of one week.

On the other hand, Jake Allen is indeed suffering from a concussion. Ducharme confirmed the diagnosis, but hinted that there was a possibility of returning to the game as early as Saturday “if all goes well”.

Allen will not be placed on the injured list, which means the Canadian had one player too many in his squad in the morning. Adam Brooks was consequently placed on waivers in the afternoon.

A departure for Primeau