Ottawa Senators coach Paul MacLean confirmed that Milan Michalek, who leads the League with 19 goals, is day-to-day after suffering a concussion following a collision with teammate Erik Karlsson during Tuesday's game against the Buffalo Sabres. He won't play tonight when the Senators host the Boston Bruins.
“Right now we have to follow the concussion protocol, so he’s day-to-day," MacLean said. "It's based on as long as he's symptom-free, he can participate. He felt way better today, so we'll see how it goes."
The injury occurred with just over five minutes left in the game, when Michalek collided with teammate Erik Karlsson.
"I read the guy's pass and stepped up and I think (Michalek) was coming full speed to backcheck," Karlsson said after the game. "I was only looking for their guys and not ours and we collided pretty hard there. We were both going forward."
With Michalek out, expect Bobby Butler to play in his spot alongside Jason Spezza. However, MacLean doesn't think it will be too long that Michalek will be out.
"I don’t believe at this point that it's going to ruin his year," said MacLean. "It's disappointing, but not devastating."
