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Tim Connolly to miss ‘at least a week’ with surgery on his nose

timconnollynose

James O’Brien

If you could picture an NHL player’s list of career injuries as a resume of sorts (maybe the hockey player is applying for the title of the league’s “Glass Man” or something?), then Tim Connolly would make Marian Gaborik and Kari Lehtonen sweat out the interview process.

While he hasn’t put together the kind of elite seasons that Gaborik managed in the rare years the Slovakian winger manages to played in more than 70 games, Connolly has often flirted with point-per-game productivity when he’s been able to stay on the ice. Yet his health concerns are such a perennial issue that its gone from something slightly humorous to a situation that’s tedious and sad.

Now, this shouldn’t be a major injury, but it must be frustrating for the Buffalo Sabres and Connolly: the center is expected to miss at least one week as he gets surgery on his nose.

Here is the rundown of Connolly’s grotesque-sounding injury, via Buffalo’s WGR 550.

Connolly’s facial injuries will require reconstructive surgery, Ruff clarified, “It looks like he’s gonna have to get operated on, It’s bad, so we’re gonna have to get it taken care of.”

When asked the duration of his recovery, Ruff was unsure of a timetable. “I don’t know if it will be a multi-week, we’re gonna cut it off at a week and see where’s he at.” When questioned if it involves his sinus and his nose, “everything needs to be reconstructed, there’s nothing there right now.”

Connolly finished the game in Tampa with a face shield, but Ruff confirmed Connolly can not suit up even with any protective gear until at least a week. The Sabres will reevaluate his status in a few days following his surgery, but he will not be able to play until next week.

The Sabres have called up forward Luke Adam from Portland. Adam has 12 goals and 10 assists this year for the Pirates, and one goal and one assist in 10 games with the Sabres.

“There’s nothing there right now” is the kind of comment that turns your stomach a bit. It makes me think of all the jokes surrounding Michael Jackson’s nose, so you can understand why Connolly might miss a week or more. Good luck to Connolly as he goes through the arduous (and yucky?) schnozzle reconstructive process.