Looks as though Los Angeles will have a change on defense for Game 1 of its Western Conference quarterfinal against St. Louis.
Matt Greene appears primed to sit out while Keaton Ellerby looks ready to draw in, according to Helene Elliott of the LA Times.
Greene spent Tuesday’s morning skate with projected scratches Alec Martinez, Colin Fraser and Tyler Toffoli while Ellerby was paired with a defensive regular, Jake Muzzin.
Head coach Darryl Sutter offered no insight as to what his lineup might look like, only saying “we’ll have an extra forward and an extra defenseman in warmup.”
Greene, who was thought to be lost for the season after hurting his back in the season opener against Chicago, returned in late April and played four games down the stretch.
He did, however, miss the regular season finale against San Jose with an undisclosed injury, which Sutter said was not related to the back issue.
Ellerby had been parked in the press box since mid-April but drew in for Saturday’s game against the Sharks, and has some (limited) playoff experience under his belt.
He played in one game for the Panthers last season in their seven-game loss to the Devils, recording 8:42 of ice time.