Vancouver Canucks' Manny Malhotra skates during hockey practice in Vancouver, B.C., on Friday June 3, 2011. The Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks play game 2 of the NHL's Stanley Cup Final Saturday. Vancouver leads the best of seven game series 1-0.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
Asked how well he could see out of his injured left eye, Vancouver Canucks forward Manny Malhotra replied "well enough."
"I've been cleared to play, I feel confident on the ice, and that's all that matters at this point," Malhotra said Saturday morning.
Officially, the Canucks consider Malhotra a "game-time decision" for Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final against the Boston Bruins, but all signs point to Malhotra playing his first NHL game since March 16, which is sure to create a stir inside Rogers Arena.
"It would obviously be a very touching moment," said Malhotra, who confirmed that he will participate in the pre-game warm up. "I realize how privileged I am to play in a market like Vancouver."
Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said he would "definitely" not play Malhotra, 31, alongside former linemates Raffi Torres and Jannik Hansen. The two third-line wingers have found too much chemistry with centre Maxim Lapierre, and have been too effective to tamper with.
Vigneault said Malhotra would centre the fourth line, take face-offs, and be used mostly in his own zone. Those are Malhotra's strengths, but Vigneault did not specify whether the Mississauga, Ont., native would kill penalties, which is another specialty.
"If Manny is able to play, we understand he's been out for quite some time now," Vigneault said.
Malhotra said he would simplify his game as much as possible, particularly since his timing and game-legs haven't been tested in nearly three months.
The Canucks centre suffered a career-threatening eye injury when a deflected puck struck him in the eyeball during a regular-season game against the Colorado Avalanche.
Malhotra has undergone two surgeries to save vision in the eye, and was declared out for the season by the club earlier this year. If he plays, it is likely that Alexandre Bolduc would be a healthy scratch.
Vancouver is expected to make one more lineup change.
Defenceman Dan Hamhuis (lower-body injury) hasn't been seen around the team since leaving Game 1 in the second period.
Hamhuis hobbled to the dressing room after delivering a hip check on Milan Lucic Wednesday, and hasn't skated since.
He will almost certainly be replaced by Andrew Alberts, who left the morning skate before Keith Ballard and rookie Chris Tanev, which is normally a sign that a player is dressing.
Alberts, who hasn't played since May 3, practised with Christian Ehrhoff on Friday.