The Detroit Red Wings just got their first skate in since finding out their schedule for the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They've got a tough first-round matchup in the Nashville Predators, and need to get all hands on deck to make it out of said first round. Well, the good news is that the Red Wings made it through another practice without any other players getting hurt. The bad news is that Darren Helm is officially out for game one, according to Ansar Khan on Twitter:
Helm said he's not playing Game 1 but hopeful for Game 2.
— Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) April 9, 2012
Helm has been skating since Thursday, and is dealing with a sprained knee. In slightly better news, the Red Wings will likely have Dan Cleary back in action on Wednesday for game one, as Tweeted by the official Red Wings account. Cleary was held out of a recent game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
That appeared to be more of a maintenance day, as Cleary likely could have played. The 33-year-old right winger definitely needs his rest though, as he's suffered multiple nagging injuries throughout the season. Still, to hear he's likely ready to go for game one can only be a good thing for Detroit.
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