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Detroit’s Cleary ‘sore’ after nasty hit, but will play Game 6

Dan Cleary

Daniel Cleary #11 of the Detroit Red Wings shoots during warmup before NHL action against the Toronto Maple Leafs at The Air Canada Centre January 7, 2012 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (January 6, 2012 - Source: Abelimages/Getty Images North America)

Red Wings forward Dan Cleary is still feeling the pain from a bad boarding incident on Wednesday, but will be ready to go on Friday when Detroit faces elimination for the first time this postseason.

“I’m sore,” Cleary told the Detroit Free Press. “My whole left side was sore — shoulder, hand, ribs, neck, head.”

Cleary was shook up on this hit from Anaheim’s Daniel Winnik during a 3-2 OT loss in Game 5:

Winnik received a five-minute boarding major on the play.

Cleary left the contest and missed the remainder of the second period, but returned to play 5:32 in the third frame (and one 37-second shift in overtime).

As mentioned above, the 34-year-old winger has already declared himself good to go for Friday’s Game 6 in Detroit.

He’ll be joined in the Wings lineup by Justin Abdelkader, who is finished serving his two-game suspension for charging Toni Lydman in Game 3.