Eye keeps Canucks' Malhotra out of Game 1

Times wires
Tuesday, May 31, 2011

VANCOUVER — Canucks center Manny Malhotra is unlikely to return from his career-threatening eye injury when the Stanley Cup final opens tonight.

Though Malhotra sat out practice Tuesday, general manager Mike Gillis refused to call it a setback.

Malhotra, second in the NHL in faceoff wins at 61.7 percent and a big part of the league's top-ranked penalty-kill before his injury, was hit in the left eye by a deflected puck March 16. He hasn't played since. There was concern he could lose the eye, and he has had at least two surgeries.

Malhotra returned to practice two weeks ago and was cleared for light contact Friday. Coach Alain Vigneault said Saturday he had been cleared to return for the Cup final. Gillis and Malhotra have said he is day to day and would be monitored by doctors.

"(Tuesday) was a day where they felt it would be best if he stayed away," Gillis said. "(Malhotra will) be back around the team (today), we anticipate. We have to be really patient with this. We have to rein him in a little bit because he's very enthusiastic."

With Malhotra out, Alexandre Bolduc said he'll center Vancouver's fourth line in Game 1 with Jeff Tambellini and Victor Oreskovich. Bolduc and Tambellini have appeared in two postseason games each this spring.

Panthers: Former player and current AHL Portland coach Kevin Dineen is expected to be named coach at a news conference scheduled for this afternoon. He would replace Peter DeBoer, who was fired after three seasons and a 103-107-36 record. Dineen's name was in the mix when the Lightning was looking for a coach last offseason.

Source: http://www.tampabay.com/sports/eye-keeps-canucks-malhotra-out-of-game-1/1172900

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