Tuesday notes: Is that Dawson Leedahl on skates?
Published 4:47 pm Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Some notes from Tuesday’s practice:
– There was a Dawson Leedahl sighting on the ice. The winger who’s been out since Oct. 18 because of a knee injury was back on his skates for the first time Tuesday. This is an encouraging sign for Leedahl and the Tips. When he first suffered the injury it was feared he would require surgery and miss four-to-six months. However, a second opinion recommended rest and gave a much shorter timeline. Leedahl’s presence on the ice indicates rest was indeed the preferred remedy. It’s still not determined when Leedahl will be back, but the possibility of a December return still exists.
– The WHL’s weekly report came out Tuesday, and Everett’s injury list is once again lengthy. In addition to Leedahl, forwards Logan Aasman (upper body) and Brayden Low (lower body) and defensemen Ben Betker (lower body) and Tristen Pfeifer (upper body) are all listed. However, both Low and Betker practiced Tuesday, so they should be available when the Tips host Spokane on Wednesday night.
– Speaking of Spokane, the Chiefs kick off a challenging week for the Tips. Everett starts off against Spokane (.620 winning percentage), a team that’s right on the Tips’ heels in the U.S. Division race, as well as a team that’s given Everett fits when they’ve matched up head-to-head. That game is followed by Friday’s home game against Medicine Hat (.741 winning percentage), the team that’s way out front in the WHL’s Central Division. The week concludes with a road game against Portland (.534 winning percentage), the four-time defending Western Conference champ that has gotten itself back on course, winning five straight.
Everett is a team that’s reeling a bit following recent third-period swoons. This week will be a challenging test to see whether the Tips can respond in a positive fashion.
