By DANA WAKIJI
FOX Sports Detroit
Apparently, the Wings have not ditched the injury bug they had to deal with last season.
Brad Stuart is the latest victim. In Friday night's 5-4 shootout win at Calgary, the Flames' Tom Kostopoulos put his shoulder into Stuart's head at 10:07 of the third period.
Stuart has a broken jaw and will miss six to eight weeks. The injury, which involves two non-displaced fractures, will not require surgery.
Following the game, Wings coach Mike Babcock was incensed.
"It's embarrassing," Babcock told the Detroit News. "It's unfortunate, it was bad. A blindside hit to the head. It's uncalled for and unneeded. It's disappointing."
Babcock expects the league to give Kostopoulos more than the two-minute roughing penalty he was assessed.
"I'd assume they'd look into it and I assume he'd be suspended," Babcock said. "You're supposed to protect the good players in the league and he's a good player.
"I'd have no problem if the guy buries him. He's swinging at the puck but you don't have to hit him in the head. There's no reason for that."
Jakub Kindl, who has been a healthy scratch, is expected to take Stuart's place in the lineup, at least for the immediate future.
And unexpectedly, goaltender Chris Osgood is also out. Osgood, who was supposed to start in Vancouver tonight, will miss the game with a nagging groin problem. Jimmy Howard will start one night after playing Calgary.
Also out are Pavel Datsyuk (broken hand), Dan Cleary (broken ankle), Mike Modano (lacerated wrist) and Valtteri Filppula (groin). Filppula's injury is not expected to be a long-term thing.
Jan. 8, 2011
