Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard is close to returning from an MCL injury that’s kept him sidelined since late December.
“First 10 minutes it was kind of rough on the lungs, but after that things started to settle down,” Howard said after practice. “I feel good. I feel excited to be back out there with the guys and look forward to getting down to GR and playing. I’m not really sure when that’s going to happen just yet, but right now it feels good just to be back out there.”
Despite a 5-7-1 record, Howard’s statistics were some of the best in the NHL. His 1.96 goals-against-average and .934 save percentage were overlooked by the fact that he received some of the lowest offensive support from any team in the league. He’s ready to get back in the swing of things, however.
“I’m very positive,” Howard said. “I’ve worked hard to get back. The road taken was a little bit longer than expected. The knee has responded every stage of the process. I feel confident I can get back out there and really playing the way I was.”
