Thrashers get All-Star Tobias Enstrom back

By Chris Vivlamore

Feb 11, 2011

Tobias Enstrom started a new streak Friday.

The Thrashers defenseman, sidelined for six games with a broken finger on his right hand, was activated from injured reserve and played against the New York Rangers. The injury snapped Enstrom’s franchise-record streak of 296 consecutive games played.

“It’s been tough,” Enstrom said before his first game in nearly three weeks. “It’s my first time being hurt, and watching from the side is tough. I want to be out there and play the game.”

The injury also caused Enstrom to miss the NHL All-Star game. The original diagnosis was that Enstrom would miss 2-4 weeks. He missed 19 days after blocking a shot -- ironically at home against the Rangers. The Thrashers went 1-4-1 without Enstrom.

His recovery time did not surprise Thrashers coach Craig Ramsay.

“Toby surprises a lot of people a lot of times,” Ramsay said. “I look back at the first game he missed [versus Tampa on Jan. 23], he wanted to play. We knew it was not going to be a good idea. The doctor stepped in and made the right call. Looking at it now, this kid wants to play under just about any circumstances.”

Enstrom was reunited with fellow All-Star and defensive partner Dustin Byfuglien. His return figures to help the Thrashers in several areas. Enstrom was a leader in ice time, led the defensive-zone breakouts and played the opposite point from Byfuglien on the first power-play unit.

“He’s been brilliant for us,” Ramsay said. “Obviously, we missed him. He’s a guy that makes people around him better. He plays a lot of minutes. He handles the puck well. He’s very cool under pressure. He’s been important on the power play.

"Having him back in the lineup is a big step forward.

Arturs Kulda was the healthy defensive scratch with Enstrom back. Eric Boulton returned to the lineup at left wing after missing the past four games as a healthy scratch. Fredrik Modin has not practiced since being hurt in the second period of Monday's loss in Toronto.

Mason also makes early return

Chris Mason needed only two weeks to recover from an MCL sprain of the right knee. The goaltender was activated from injured reserve Feb. 4 after missing seven games.

Mason said he will wear a brace on his knee as a precaution in the short term. He has not played after suffering the injury against Dallas on Jan. 15.

“The last thing they said was as soon as you get it out of the back of your head, the better,” Mason said of putting the injury behind him. “The more I went on the ice, at first you could feel it stretching back out and it hurt a bit. The more you go out there, it completely disappears.”

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