NEW YORK, N.Y. — Brandon Tanev fights for every inch of ice he gets, displaying the kind of fearless tenacity that has made him a favourite among the Winnipeg Jets coaching staff.
But these days, Tanev finds himself fighting just to see the ice. He has yet to get back into the lineup despite fully recovering more than a week ago from an upper-body injury suffered in a Feb. 3 game against Colorado. Tanev was playing, perhaps, the best hockey of his career as part of an effective checking and shutdown line, in addition to killing penalties and drawing penalties.