Andrew Ference skated for the fifth straight day on Saturday, but it’s still up in the air whether the veteran defenseman will play in Game 1 against the Penguins.
If it were up to Ference, he would play, but he’s leaving the decision up to Claude Julien.
“Everybody wants to be part of the mix,” Ference told ESPN.com at Saturday’s morning skate. “Even just feeling like you can contribute in any way, and you can do that in many ways by being positive and supportive. There’s more than what just happens on the ice. There’s a lot of support and roles that go into it, and everybody needs to be on their game no matter what the situation is.”
Julien wouldn’t confirm whether Ference would play or not, but said he wasn’t medically cleared on Friday. Rookie defensemen Torey Krug and Matt Bartkowski have played well in Ference’s absence.
