PHILADELPHIA — There could be a light at the end of the tunnel for Mark Stone.
The Ottawa Senators’ high-scoring winger missed his sixth consecutive game Saturday, when the club faced the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center, and he won’t play Sunday in Montreal against the Canadiens, but he has resumed skating and hasn’t been ruled out for Tuesday’s home game against the New Jersey Devils.
Stone has been skating in Ottawa and his status will be determined Tuesday morning.
“I have to find out if it swelled up again,” Senators head coach Guy Boucher said Saturday. “There’s no structural problem waiting to heal. It’s the swelling. Once the swelling is gone, then he’s ready to play.
“I know the swelling was down big time. Mechanically he was able to move his leg a lot better, but certainly not enough to play (this weekend), and he hasn’t practised yet. He has to do real practices with the team, and then he’s ready to play. I’d love to get him back, but we’ve lived with this all year.”
The Senators won’t skate Monday, so Stone will have to give the leg a good test in the morning skate Tuesday.
There was no update Saturday on the status of winger Bobby Ryan, who suffered a hand injury in Thursday’s 2-1 victory against the Anaheim Ducks. He saw a specialist Friday in Ottawa.
Boucher, who said he was still awaiting an update from doctors, did sound optimistic that Ryan might not be out for long.
“As soon as I’ve got some specific updates I can give you, I will because I’m looking to see how long myself he’s going to be out,” Boucher said.
