The Vancouver Canucks aren’t just getting head coach John Tortorella back as they face the Detroit Red Wings on Monday, as Henrik Sedin will also return from a six-game absence tonight, Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy reports.
Brad Richardson is out with an undisclosed injury, so that might make that roster tweak a little easier for Tortorella.
Oddly enough, Sedin has been out for the same six games as Tortorella, with both last appearing in Jan. 18’s mess against the Calgary Flames. In that time, the Canucks have been “off the rails,” losing four of six and three in a row.
Getting their 33-year-old captain back could certainly be a big difference-maker.
While he went four straight games without a point before sitting out with this rib injury, he still remains a go-to guy for Vancouver, collecting 40 points in 50 contests overall.
The Canucks are a more rested team as they’ve been off since Friday while Detroit is finishing off a back-to-back set, so this is a great opportunity for Vancouver to get things back on track.