SAN JOSE – The clue that Justin Braun was going to return early from an infection in his left elbow came at Tuesday’s morning skate, when the defenseman came off of the ice at his normal time while Matt Tennyson stayed on for extra work.
After ruling Braun out on Monday, though, coach Pete DeBoer didn’t give any indication that Braun would be in for the Penguins despite a couple direct questions about how he would handle the absence of one of his top four defensemen.
It was likely a bit of gamesmanship from the Sharks coach, but regardless, he was glad to be able to plug Braun back into the lineup a few days after calling him one of the team’s unsung heroes over the first quarter of the season.