SENS’ BLUE-LINE TAKES ANOTHER HIT WITH WIDEMAN OUT
Hamstring surgery might sideline defenceman for rest of the season
The news is going from bad to worse on the Ottawa Senators’ blue-line.
Defenceman Chris Wideman will have surgery to repair his hamstring in New York on Monday and will be out from four to six months — potentially ending his season and possibly career — with the Senators.
He suffered the injury Nov. 16 when Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin leaned heavily on him, forcing Wideman’s legs into the splits.
“I’m not going to rule myself out for the season,” Wideman said before watching his teammates take on the New York Islanders on Friday. “It’s got to be the same way I got myself to the NHL, with hard work. It’s going to be a tough process.”
The injury is uncommon in hockey — Wideman says it’s most common among water skiers — and he consulted with a number of specialists before realizing that surgery was the only way to guarantee a full recovery.
Wideman, who has also been used as a right winger at times, scored three goals and five assists in 16 games this season. In 146 games during his career, he has scored 14 goals and 24 assists.
With rookie defencemen Thomas Chabot and Ben Harpur pushing for a full-time role and with Christian Jaros also in the organization’s long-term plans, there likely won’t be room for Wideman, who becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
“It’s the kind of thing you pray doesn’t happen in the last year of a contract, but you have to put it upon yourself to try and come back stronger than ever.
“My goal is to play again this year.”
BOROWIECKI STAYS SIDELINED: Asked about the progress of Mark Borowiecki, who suffered a concussion against the New York Rangers Nov. 19, Senators coach Guy Boucher wore a frown. Borowiecki is still suffering symptoms. “He’s doing nothing, nothing,” Boucher said. “Right now, I can’t give you anything positive in that regard.”
The injuries, of course, have created opportunities for Chabot, Harpur and Freddy Claesson to take on bigger roles.
ROUND AND ROUND DIDOMENICO GOES: A week after claiming Chris DiDomenico off waivers from the Senators, the Tampa Bay Lightning have put him back on waivers again. DiDomenico never did make it to Tampa, instead playing two games and scoring one goal with Syracuse while on a “conditioning” stint. It’s all a bit bizarre. The story could take on another twist if Senators general manager Pierre Dorion re-claims him off waivers on the weekend. The Senators are the only team that could assign him back to the AHL.
GUITAR HERO: Eventually, Matt Duchene will get out of his deep slump, but maybe his bumpy entry into the Senators’ lineup has the makings of a decent hurtin’ country tune. By all accounts, Duchene has a gift with the guitar. “I do more in the summer because during the season, I’m a little too dialed in hockeywise, but I will pick (the guitar) up now and again. I have a nice acoustic I play all the time in the summer and I have to get it from Haliburton down to Ottawa.”