Red Wings Notebook: Patrick Kane May Skate This Week

The Detroit Red Wings expect Patrick Kane (lower body injury) to skate this week, although the timetable for his return remains unclear.

Kane has missed three games since going down with an injury during Detroit’s 4-2 win against Toronto eight days ago. This injury is not related to his offseason hip surgery.

“We’ll have a better feel probably when we get a practice in and go from there,” Detroit coach Derek Lalonde said after the team’s 2-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. “I would hope to have him before the break, if not, I’d be comfortable we’d have him after the break.”

The Red Wings play four more home games between now and Jan. 31. They then are off for 10 days because of the All-Star game and their annual in-season break.

Kane has been doing off-ice work. “He’s done some quality things away from the rink,” Lalonde said. “He just hasn’t skated yet.”

The veteran Kane, with 16 points in 19 games, has helped the Red Wings considerably with his ability to carry the puck into the offensive zone and then distribute it once he’s there.

Lalonde’s One Disappoitment

Lalonde is very pleased with how the Red Wings are performing. However, he did have a moment of disappointment Sunday night. He’s a lifelong, diehard Buffalo Bills fan and they were eliminated from the NFL playoffs by a 27-24 loss to Kansas City.

Tyler Bass missed a 41-yard field goal that would have tied the game with 1:43 remaining.

“I was in the office for the missed field goal,” Lalonde said, “and the 207 texts from all my close friends who love to torment my agony with the Bills.”

Lalonde has adopted the Detroit Lions this season. He is impressed with how the Lions have energized the city.

“I coach in pro sports, there’s very few times you hit it like this, you engage an entire city,” Lalonde said. “I get the fact that it’s been so long for them. But the way they’ve done it and the energy, how authentic the group is, our building was buzzing to start. They get excited about our games but this Sunday night game, I don’t know if we generated the buzz. It has a little bit to do with the Lions win. It’s pretty cool. It’ll be realty neat to watch it next weekend.”

Ice Chips

With Ben Chiarot out with an upper body injury, the Red Wings recalled defenseman Brogan Rafferty from the Grand Rapids Griffins. He didn’t play because the Red Wings slotted Justin Holl in Chiarot’s lineup spot…Lalonde is now 4-2 in games against Tampa Bay. He was an assistant coach with the Lightning when he took the Red Wings job…The Red Wings are excelling in many areas of the game. They were 3-for-3 on the penalty kill against the Lighting. Detroit is 42-for-47 (89.4 percent) on the penalty kill since Dec. 12 at St. Louis.