Hillen expected to play Tuesday
Defenseman Jack Hillen should be back in the lineup when the Islanders return for the Olympic break against Chicago next Tuesday. (Jan. 21, 2010) Credit: Christopher Pasatieri
How about that for a speedy recovery? After what appeared to be a grisly, costly injury, defenseman Jack Hillen is expected to play Tuesday when the Chicago Blackhawks pay a visit to Nassau Coliseum.
If you don't remember the cringe-inducing play, Hillen took an Alex Ovechkin slapshot to the face January 26. Hillen subsequently underwent surgery to repair a broken jaw and damaged teeth and was projected to miss 6-8 weeks.
Part of the reason Hillen's recovery was so expeditious (he shaved about two weeks off the best-case scenario) was because he didn't have to get his jaw wired shut. As a result, Hillen didn't lose too much weight or strength and was able to begin practicing reasonably soon.
More on that later....
**Also my apologies for yesterday; Jeff Tambellini and Jon Sim did indeed practice, but skated as the extra forwards. Sorry about the confusion.
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