TORONTO — Avalanche defenseman Ryan Wilson was scratched Tuesday in his home province of Ontario with a head injury after taking a puck off the face Monday in Boston. Wilson is listed as day to day, so he probably does not have a concussion.
Avs coach Patrick Roy suspected that Wilson, who had been paired with Jan Hejda, suffered a concussion in the third period of the 2-1, last-second victory against the Bruins. But Wilson could be back in the lineup Thursday at Ottawa or Saturday in Montreal.
Nate Guenin replaced Wilson and played with Hejda. The Avs’ only healthy scratch was Zach Redmond, who has yet to play after signing as a free agent in July.
Guenin, as usual, served as a primary penalty killer.
Preventative measures. In a heat-of-the-moment sequence early in the second period, officials would not allow Jarome Iginla and the Leafs’ Dion Phaneuf to fight after the Avs’ Jamie McGinn got into it with the Toronto defenseman.
Iginla and Phaneuf — both first-line veterans who are not staged fighters — dropped their gloves and squared off but, in a move that could be part of the NHL’s crackdown on fighting, they were separated and both assessed roughing minors.
Footnotes. The Avs continue this four-game road trip with just 12 available forwards, but reinforcements are available in Cleveland, with their top minor-league affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters. … Toronto defenseman Jake Gardiner, who is in the first year of a $20.25 million contract, was a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game. Like most coaches, the Leafs’ Randy Carlyle finds it difficult to change the lineup after an impressive win, and Toronto beat the New York Rangers 6-3 on the road Sunday.
