Tim Wharnsby
TORONTO — Globe and Mail Update Last updated on Tuesday, Mar. 31, 2009 09:17PM EDT
Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Carlo Colaiacovo will be sidelined tonight, when the organization will honour one of its all-time popular players, Wendel Clark.
Colaiacovo suffered a bruised foot when he blocked a shot in practice on Thursday. While the tests he underwent indicated the ailment was nothing serious, there still is too much discomfort when Colaiacovo slips his foot into the skate boot.
Colaiacovo's pain is Jonas Frogren's gain. The new Leafs defender has been scratched from the lineup in nine of the past 12 games, but he will return against the speedy and skilled Chicago Blackhawks tonight.
"We have to get him playing under control," Toronto coach Ron Wilson said. "When he sits out, like he has, he wants to hit four or five guys on the first shift."
Frogren, 28, is in his first NHL season after being in the Farjestads system of the Swedish Elitserien for the past 10 seasons. He began his first NHL campaign well, but hasn't seen much ice time in the past month.
"It's not that he hasn't played well, it's other guys have played a little better," Wilson said. "When you have eight or nine [defencemen], sometimes others play a little better."
Spending more time in the press box watching rather than playing hasn't soured Frogren on his first foray into the NHL.
"No, no," he said, when asked if he regretted his decision to move to the Leafs. "I had no expectations. I look at his as an adventure. I played on the same team for 10 years and it took this long to get here. I didn't expect to play in all 82 games."
The Blackhawks arrive at the Air Canada Centre on an impressive 6-1-2 run in their past nine games. The Leafs will have their handful with the speed and skill of their young opponents.
"We saw them rapidly get better with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp and when Martin Havlat is in the lineup last year," Wilson said. "The difference this year has been they have grown confidence and the play of [goalie Nikolai] Khabibulin."
Khabibulin is ninth in the NHL in save percentage at .923.
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