Eric Boulton in Thrashers' lineup despite swollen, bruised hand
Eric Boulton’s bruised and swollen left hand improved enough that he was in the Thrashers’ lineup Wednesday night against Florida.
Boulton was held out of practice Tuesday after he injured his hand Sunday in a second-period fight against Washington’s John Erksine.
“I felt good out there,” Boulton said at Wednesday’s morning practice. “[Tuesday] was a day of rest. The swelling went down a lot last night, so that’s probably a big factor.”
Coach Craig Ramsay had considered using defenseman Freddy Meyer at forward had Boulton and Fredrik Modin (upper-body) not been able to play.
Modin missed his second consecutive game after suffering his injury Saturday against Pittsburgh. He has not practiced since.
Meyer missed his 11th consecutive game, and his fifth since coming off injured reserve with a mid-body injury.
Ramsay waited until after the pregame warm-up to make his final decision. He said early in the day that it helped that Boulton’s injury was to his left hand.
“A lot of the game is played with one hand on the stick,” Ramsay said. “It’s better if your strong hand, your top hand, is on the stick and feeling good.”
In other news, prospect Patrice Cormier is skating with increased intensity as part of his rehab from a broken right foot. The team will make a decision on the next step for the center, who is on injured reserve, next week.
About the Author
Chris Vivlamore is the sports editor at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He has served as reporter and editor at the AJC since 2003.
