Carlo on call once again
Defenceman from Marlies replaces the injured Berg Prospect suffers facial injuries when hit by puck
The Leafs would have called up Carlo Colaiacovo from the Marlies yesterday in any case, but another ugly facial injury in the organization made that decision even easier.
Colaiacovo, in uniform last night against the Washington Capitals to replace Aki Berg, who is out with a knee injury, will have at least three games to prove to the club that he deserves a longer stay. He picked up his first NHL goal in the Leafs’ 6- 4 win over the Caps. The Leaf organization, meanwhile, has to deal with another serious injury, this time to defenceman Andy Wozniewski, who suffered several cuts and possible broken bones after being hit in the face with a shot in last Sunday’s win over the Rochester Americans. Wozniewski won’t need surgery, but he will be reassessed next week once the swelling goes down.
Every time Colaiacovo begins to show some signs of the potential the Leafs felt he had when they drafted him 17th overall in 2001, he comes down with some kind of freak injury that impedes his development.
“ I’m trying to make the most of the opportunity and take advantage of it,” Colaiacovo said. “ This is where I want to be and this is what every player works for.”
After suffering a shoulder injury three games into the season that kept him out of the lineup for almost three weeks, Colaiacovo returned to the Marlies lineup last weekend and acquitted himself very well. Marlies coach Paul Maurice said Colaiacovo was very strong in wins over Hamilton and Rochester and deserved the promotion. Perhaps it was fitting that Colaiacovo was able to benefit from another player’s injury, given his own long history of hurts, the latest of which came on a shoulder that has been a problem for much of his career.
“ It was a little bit of a bump in the road,” said Colaiacovo, who has two goals and six points in six games with the Marlies.
“ I mean, it was the third game in and I missed a few games, but I thought when I came back last weekend I played three pretty solid games.”
Leafs coach Pat Quinn said Colaiacovo will have to show him that he can handle his defensive duties without compromising his offensive skills.