Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Valtteri Filppula’s cut leg might give Detroit some headaches

Detroit Red WIngs v Buffalo Sabres

BUFFALO, NY - DECEMBER 4: Valtteri Filppula #51 of the Detroit Red Wings skates with the puck during a NHL game against the Buffalo Sabres at First Niagara Center on December 2, 2011 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)

Getty Images

The Red Wings might have a tough situation to deal with in Valtteri Filppula. Filppula left last night’s 4-2 loss to Colorado in the first period after having his leg cut by an errant skate blade. Filppula was cut just above the boot of his skate and coach Mike Babcock says he was taken to a Denver hospital to be checked out.

Filppula’s play this season has been stellar as he’s put up eight goals and 21 points rebounding from what were two lackluster seasons for the second line center. Filppula is Detroit’s third leading scorer this season and has blended in well alongside Henrik Zetterberg.

If Filppula is hurt enough to put him out of action for a while, Detroit will need to see guys like Jiri Hudler, Darren Helm, and Justin Abdelkader to step up in his absence. That might be asking a lot of some of those guys, but with how productive Filppula’s been this year, Detroit needs those points to come from someone. Getting a lot more from Zetterberg wouldn’t be such a bad thing either.