MARK BLINCH
Tim Connolly was not among the group that practiced Wednesday morning at Mastercard Centre but apparently the news is not that dire for the oft-injured centre for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
We say apparently because Leaf coach Ron Wilson was not available to speak on the matter.
Despite a four-game winning streak that has left the players resembling a bunch of Chatty Cathies, Wilson decided to make like a hermit, sending his regrets through an emissary that he didn't feel like sharing his thoughts -- good, bad or otherwise.
A Leafs official chalked Connolly's absence up as nothing more than "a maintenance day."
That's hockey speak for a day off granted to Connolly to rest his weary bones to prepare for Friday night's rematch against the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo.
The Leafs defeated the Sabres 2-0 Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre for their fourth win in a row as the suddenly resurgent Toronto outfit remains undefeated in 2012.
Connolly played a regular shift, logging just under 16 minutes of ice time, and afterward didn't display any undue signs of wear or tear.
But with Connolly, and his history of injuries, you never know.
Connolly started the season on the sidelines, missing the first eight games with a shoulder issue.
He missed four more in November with the ubiquitous "upper body injury."
However, word around Leaf Nation is that Connolly, who has scored seven goals and 15 assists for Toronto this season, should be good to go by Friday.