Ottawa Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki will likely miss the rest of the regular season after suffering a knee injury. The Senators announced on Monday that he will be out with a torn ACL.
Borowiecki reportedly will not need surgery for the knee injury, but he likely will not play again during the regular season. He could potentially return if the Senators make the playoffs, but the team is not currently in position to make the postseason. The defenseman has provided solid depth for the Senators this season, scoring one goal and adding one assist in 63 games played.
"Initially it was looking pretty bad and it felt pretty bad. It was a harmless play," Borowiecki said. "I knew right away it was pretty serious. I got an MRI done and it showed to be a little bit better than we initially thought.
Borowiecki suffered the injury on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Earlier in the season, Borowiecki was injured after hitting his face against the boards in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 26-year-old suffered a facial laceration on the play and left a pool of blood on the ice. Borowiecki and forward Brandon Saad were tangled up together before Borowiecki fell and hit the boards. He was able to get off the ice with help from trainers after the injury.
The Senators have also been dealing with a lower-body injury to Craig Anderson. The team announced that Anderson has returned to practice, and he could be back in the starting lineup soon. He has been dealing with a knee injury and has been sitting out for the last week. The goaltender has not played for the Senators since Mar. 1, when he sustained the injury.
The starting goalie may return next week when the Senators take on the Hurricanes on Tuesday. If Anderson can't play in that game, there is a chance that he could play against the Panthers on Thursday. Anderson has been very strong for the Senators this season, going 27-20-4 with a 2.81 goals against average.
The Senators are trying to make a late-season push to get into the playoffs. The team is currently six points back of the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Ottawa is 31-29-7 this season with 69 points, tied in the overall standings with the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes.
