Connolly "week to week"
Tim Connolly's latest doctor visit did not go well, and the playing status of the oft-injured Buffalo Sabres center is now on a "week-to-week" basis because of an upper-body injury.
Connolly suffered what was originally called a bruised chest Wednesday when he was flattened by St. Louis' Keith Tkachuk. He left the game early and missed the next day's practice, but he returned for Friday's home loss to Columbus.
However, Connolly did not make the trip to Pittsburgh for Saturday's loss to the Penguins. Coach Lindy Ruff said Monday that Connolly was getting a second opinion, a sign Connolly's injury was worse than originally thought because it would be rare to get more medical advice for a mere bruise. Asked today whether Connolly had improved, Ruff replied: "No."
Ruff declined further comment. Mike Gilbert, director of public relations, text-messaged the following statement to The News: "Tim Connolly has an upper body musculosketal injury and will be evaluated on a week to week basis."
Musculosketal simply means the parts that make up the body. Connolly has played in just six of the Sabres' 17 games. Their next outing is Wednesday when they visit the Boston Bruins.
---John Vogl
