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Weekes out a week; Lecavalier also hurt

The goalie is out with a strained groin, the captain day-to-day with a strained neck and cut nose.

By DAMIAN CRISTODERO

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 9, 2001

[Times file photo] Kevin Weekes has a strained groin.

TORONTO -- The Lightning lost No. 1 goaltender Kevin Weekes for at least seven days Monday, when he was placed on injured reserve with a strained groin.

Vinny Lecavalier, who has a strained neck and a cut across his nose, may sit out Wednesday night's game against the Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre.

Both players were hurt in Sunday night's 7-4 loss to the Blackhawks.

Weekes left the game in favor of Dan Cloutier with 4:47 gone in the second period, but he was hurt with 6:42 left in the first period when he sprawled to make a nice save on Jean-Yves Leroux.

Dieter Kochan was recalled from the IHL's Detroit Vipers to fill the roster spot.

Lecavalier was hurt with 8:58 remaining in the game when he went face-first into the knee of linesman Jonny Murray. Tampa Bay's second-leading scorer was briskly rushing the puck when the tip of his right skate caught the ice and sent him sliding.

Murray tried in vain to jump over the 20-year-old captain.

"I didn't see anything," said Lecavalier, who sat out Monday's practice. "It happened so fast."

The collision was scary as Lecavalier's body continued forward as his head came to a halt against Murray's knee.

Lecavalier said he could not move his head after the game, though he was moving it slowly up and down and side to side Monday.

"He had a little whiplash," head medical trainer Dave Boyer said. "He's actually doing a little better than I thought he would be."

He was good enough to tease. As general manager Rick Dudley took a look at Lecavalier's scraped and red nose, he said, "Nice beak."

Weekes, who has carried the bulk of the goaltending duties since the beginning of December, said he was able to walk much easier than he did after the game.

"If it was anything worse than a strain, he wouldn't have come in and said it felt better," Boyer said. "We're just playing it safe."

Cloutier likely will be playing much more, at least in the short term.

How this will affect the long term is to be seen. But Cloutier remembered it was his injury, tendinitis in his left biceps, that opened the door for Weekes to claim the No. 1 spot.

"You don't want anybody hurt, but it's part of hockey," Cloutier said. "It's going to give me an opportunity to play and I have to take advantage of that."

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