"The news on the injured Jan Mursak, the young forward who played well in a brief NHL stint with the Red Wings last year, got worse Monday, and there was a general sense in the dressing room the so-called hockey gods were particularly unkind to him.

Mursak suffered a broken ankle during an exhibition last weekend against the Blackhawks, catching it between his body and the boards as he slid with considerable force.

As television replays made clear, ankles are simply not intended to bend that way.

After the game, coach Mike Babcock was willing to hazard a guess Mursak might be lost through about Thanksgiving.

By Monday morning, it was clear it might well be at least Christmas."