DETROIT – Sitting in the stands watching as his teammates were eliminated from the playoffs last spring is making this month’s Eastern Conference first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning much more enjoyable for Jonathan Ericsson.
The Red Wings’ 6-foot-4 defenseman missed the final 14 games of the regular season and the entire playoff round against Boston after he required surgery to stabilize a fractured finger and repair a partially torn tendon.
“All last year was frustrating,” Ericsson said. “It was injuries after injuries and kind of fluke injuries too. It was frustrating for sure and sitting in the stands watching last year’s playoffs was tough.