For the first time since he was injured Nov. 14 against Dayton, Komets forward Konstantin Shafranov was able to eat properly on Thursday. The veteran underwent an hour-long out-patient surgery on Wednesday to repair a pair of broken bones in the upper left side of his face.
Shafranov suffered the injury when he was elbowed by Dayton's Greg Labenski. Labenski was suspended five games by the IHL for the hit.
Shafranov is on the 30-day injured reserve list until Dec. 14, but the surgery might help speed his recovery now that he can heat. One of the broken bones in his cheek was pressing into a nerve cluster. He'll have to wear a modified shield when he returns to the lineup.
