By Jake Seiner/DFP Staff
Connolly questionable with shoulder injury
As The Boston Hockey Blog reported yesterday, sophomore forward Chris Connolly is questionable with a separated shoulder heading into this weekend’s home-and-home with UNH, according to a source close to the team.
Connolly, who was named a Hockey East Co-Player of the Week on Monday, skated briefly at the beginning of practice Wednesday, sporting one of BU’s light-blue non-contact jerseys. Connolly left the ice about 15 minutes into the session, and watched the remainder of practice from the BU bench. He had an ice pack saran-wrapped to his left shoulder for part of that time.
BU coach Jack Parker declined to specify Connolly’s injury after practice, saying he had an upper-body injury that “may or may not keep him out of play this weekend.”
Colby Cohen leaves practice with lower-body injury
Junior Colby Cohen left practice early Wednesday with what Parker called a “lower-body injury.”
Parker said the injury was “probably not” anything serious, and did not go into further detail.
Warsofsky 100 percent, practicing at forward
Sophomore defenseman David Warsofsky said after practice Wednesday that the injury to the adductor muscle in his hip that had caused him to miss three of the last four games is back to 100 percent, and that he expects to play this weekend.
Warsofsky practiced as a forward during Wednesday’s practice. During 5-on-3 power-play drills, Warsofsky worked as BU’s big-man atop the crease with junior Nick Bonino and freshman Alex Chiasson on the wings and junior Colby Cohen and junior Kevin Shattenkirk at the points.
“That’s an important part of the power play for sure,” Warsofsky said about setting screens and scrounging for rebounds. “If I get in front of the net, maybe some of the other guys will see that and learn a little something. We’ll see.”
Parker said he had yet to decide where Warsofsky would play this weekend, saying the decision will be made based on what players are kept from the lineup with injury.
“I know he can play defense for us. I know he can play forward for us,” Parker said. “I think it’s a matter of who’s available and where we’ll be depth-wise. If we had everybody, I’d probably play him back on defense.”
If Warsofsky does play forward, he’ll play on Bonino’s wing, or if he plays defense, he’ll be paired with senior Eric Gryba, Parker said.
Warsofsky, who was selected as a defenseman by the St. Louis Blues in the fourth round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, said the move wasn’t likely to be permanent.
“I mean, I don’t think it’s going to be a career-changer, but we’ll see,” Warsofsky said.
Rollheiser’s status still uncertain
In Saturday’s 6-4 win over Merrimack College, sophomore goalie Grant Rollheiser tweaked the high-ankle sprain that had kept him out of action for the entire season leading up to last weekend. Rollheiser practiced at full strength Wednesday, and Parker said he would wait to see how Rollheiser felt tomorrow before deciding who would start in net on which nights this weekend.
Bonino and Chiasson practice full-contact, ready to go
The list of BU players dealing with injuries is finally dwindling to only a select few. Bonino and Chiasson both missed time last weekend due to injuries, but both participated fully in practice Wednesday and are expected to play this weekend.
When it was suggested that BU might actually have most of its players healthy and in the lineup this weekend, Parker turned to knock on the wood table next to him and said, “There’s still one more practice to go, though, so we’ll see.”
Parker joked that he might have to keep an eye on Gryba, whose hits are responsible for Warsofsky’s and Chiasson’s injuries.
“We might have to have him come out with just no shoulder pads, no elbow pads,” Parker said jokingly.
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