Savage Could Miss Season

Montreal’s Brian Savage suffered a fractured vertebra in his back as a result of Saturday’s collision with Ian Laperriere of the Kings. Savage, the Canadiens’ leading scorer with 12 goals and 19 points, is out indefinitely. It’s feared he could miss the rest of the season.

Tests after the game indicated Savage was not seriously injured, but further tests revealed the damage to his back. Laperriere left the King dressing room almost immediately after Saturday’s game and asked a Canadien official where Savage had been taken. Some 15 minutes later, Laperriere was at Savage’s side at Centinela Hospital.

“What happened had a profound effect on both teams,” Montreal’s Scott Thornton told the Montreal Gazette. “When the game got going, a few times on the faceoffs their centermen would ask, ‘What’s happening with Brian? He’s all right, isn’t he?’

“We didn’t know, of course. I really couldn’t tell them anything, but that tells you something about everybody in this game. All of us try to play as hard as we can, but we have feelings. We care about the other guy.”

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The Ducks don’t expect left wing Jim McKenzie back for games Friday at Dallas or Saturday at Nashville. But they also haven’t ruled out his return later this week from a broken left hand.