Kovalchuk to miss at least two games

Jan 31, 2008 - 10:54 PM ATLANTA (Ticker) -- Atlanta Thrashers left wing Ilya Kovalchuk will miss at least two games with a right knee injury, theteam announced Thursday.Although Kovalchuk will undergo an precautionary MRI, andassuming it comes back negative, he is not expected to misssignificant time.The All-Star will miss Friday's game against the Buffalo Sabresand Saturday's contest against the Washington Capitals.As one would expect, general manager and coach Don Waddell plansto be patient with his injured superstar."He's a great athlete and he's in great condition," Waddell toldthe Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "We know he wants toplay."Kovalchuk suffered the injury in the second period ofWednesday's 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins and sat outthe third period.With just 3:21 expired in the second, Kovalchuk was checkedalong the side boards by Pittsburgh's Jarkko Ruutu. The rightknee of the Penguins' left wing collided with the right knee ofKovalchuk, sending the Russian superstar to the ice in pain.After a few moments, Kovalchuk lifted himself up and limped tothe locker room. The former Maurice Richard Trophy winner laterreturned to the bench and was on the ice for a power-playopportunity with less than five minutes to go in the period butwent directly down the runway following the shift.Atlanta defenseman Steve McCarthy, who returned to the lineupafter missing 10 games with an oblique strain, immediatelyattacked Ruutu after the knee-on-knee collision, earning himselfan instigating minor, fighting major and 10-minute misconduct.Ruutu was assessed a major for kneeing and a game misconduct aswell as a fighting major despite only being on the receiving endof punches.Kovalchuk contributed to the Thrashers' offense in the firstperiod, scoring his 38th goal of the season with 3:18 left. The24-year-old entered Wednesday second in the NHL to Washington'sAlex Ovechkin (39) in goals and tied for fourth in scoring with63 points.