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Robidas skates, feels ‘better than expected’ six weeks after breaking leg

Stephane Robidas

Dallas Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas (3) lies on the ice after injuring his leg during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, Nov. 29, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

AP

Steve Stamkos isn’t the only NHLer staging a remarkable recovery from a broken leg.

Dallas defenseman Stephane Robidas, six weeks removed from breaking his tibia and fibia, hit the ice this week -- once on Monday, again today -- and is already making progress.

“It’s pretty good. It’s better than I expected, to be honest,” Robidas said, per the Stars website. “A little bit of it is pain, a lot of it is mental. You’ve got to trust it. We just did a little skating, no stop and start, no pivoting. I went forward, laps where I did c-cuts and kind of pushed on one leg. Obviously the stride is not the same, but I try to keep it as close as possible.

“Monday I couldn’t do any crossover to one side, but by the end of today I was able to do some. Progress.”

Robidas, 36, had a rod placed in his right tibia with screws and his ankle and knee, and was given a 4-6 month recovery timetable. Within days of undergoing surgery, the veteran rearguard was already doing upper leg exercises and trying to development movement in his ankle.

What’s more, he wants to suit up again this year.

“I feel like I have more of a defined goal now, I have an idea of where I am going and what date and where maybe I can play,” he said. “To me that is positive. And just to have a goal, at least I am training for something and that I’ll be able to be back and playing this year.”

Here’s the play that broke Robidas’ leg (he was stretchered off the ice):

As mentioned above, Stamkos is also in the midst of a remarkable comeback from a busted leg of his own -- on Monday, he joined Tampa Bay for its morning skate prior to a game against Columbus and said he’s “felt better each time,” he’s taken to the ice.

Stamkos suffered a broken right tibia on Nov. 12 against Boston, and is aiming to be back in the Lightning lineup before the Olympic break.