WASHINGTON — Dion Phaneuf went for a morning skate on Monday and liked how it felt so much he kept on going.
The Maple Leafs captain is likely still a week away from returning to action, but said he’s ahead of schedule in his recovery from a nasty cut that’s kept him out of the lineup since Nov. 2.
After a full practice with the team on Sunday, Phaneuf skated for an hour and 15 minutes, staying on the Verizon Center ice long after the team’s game day skate was completed.
“It’s more me getting back to where I need to play,” Phaneuf said between periods Monday. “It’s not easy being out as long as I’ve been. It’s not something you just skate once and say you are ready.
“I’ve had two good skates with the team and I’ll go have a good practice tomorrow and see where that takes us.”
Phaneuf didn’t want to predict when he might return, but he is clearly getting the itch as his team continues to struggle.
