It appears that Henrik Zetterberg's knee injury will keep him from playing at the start of the 2011 NHL playoffs when the Red Wings take on the Coyotes. Detroit's first game is scheduled for Wednesday, and head coach Mike Babcock said on Sunday he doesn't expect Zetterberg to be ready.
"I don't expect him to start the series,'' Babcock said following the 4-3 win over the Blackhawks. "But he's really pushing things, he's working hard and he'll be ready to go as soon as he can.
On a positive note, Babcock said that he thinks Niklas Kronwall will be ready to start the series. Kronwall missed the final five games of the regular season with an upper-body injury, but Ansar Khan reports he fully practiced on Saturday. With three full days between now and the first game, it looks like he will be healthy enough to give it a go.
The status of Patrick Eaves isn't clear after he missed Sunday's game because of flu-like symptoms or food poisoning. You would expect him to be able to play, though.