"It's always a huge boost because we know they're not that far away," head coach Randy Carlyle said, on having Getzlaf and Kesler on the ice. "Once they join your hockey club for your practice sessions, then it's a timetable we can work through. It's going to be our job as a coaching staff to get those players up to speed. It's going to take some time. It's unrealistic to expect players that missed two and three weeks or two and three months to come back and have an impact."
Getzlaf has been limited to just six games this season and has not played since October 29 in Carolina after a deflected puck struck him in the face, fracturing his cheekbone. He underwent surgery on November 6. "It's been a good last couple of weeks," Getzlaf said to reporters today. "I had two weeks where I couldn't do anything, so it was really boring. It was nice to get back on the ice skating again."
The 32-year-old center joked that he'd play tonight if he was allowed to, but instead will continue adhering to his recovery plan. Getzlaf, who wore a visor today and will continue to wear one when he returns, says watching from the sidelines has been a difficult process. "It's been frustrating to put it lightly," he said. "That's basically where I've been at the last couple weeks. Feeling good physically and not being able to be out there is pretty tough. Watching the guys grind and go through it right now has been hard knowing I've only played six games."
Getzlaf added, "We're treading water and playing some good games here and there. Consistency hasn't been where we've wanted it to be. We have expectations for this group and that doesn't change based on our personnel. They've been battling hard and working to keep this team going." (The Ducks enter tonight's game just two points out of a playoff/wild card spot).
