--D Christian Ehrhoff's shoulder injury might not be as bad as first feared. Injured by a hit from physical Sharks forward Jamie McGinn in Game 3 on Friday, Ehrhoff was back on the ice with teammates for an optional practice on Monday, shooting pucks and saying he felt a lot better. Ehrhoff wouldn't speculate on a return -- he would only say he's day-to-day, and he did not play in Game 5 on Tuesday -- but the fact he's practicing bodes well for a player who led the defense with 50 points in the regular season and 11 in the first 16 playoff contests. Asked if he would have played Tuesday if it was Game 7, Ehrhoff said, "I don't think that's the issue. Either it is good to go or it is not."

Aaron Rome, who was also lost to a big McGinn hit in Game 3, is also expected back within seven to 10 days, though he is easier to replace. In the meantime, rookie Chris Tanev and veteran Keith Ballard played a second straight game in their absence, and Andrew Alberts, who played 42 regular-season games, is still available, too.

--D Sami Salo has waited 12 seasons and endured more than 40 career injuries for his first chance to play for the Stanley Cup. But nothing compared to what the 36-year-old went through this season, which appeared to end before it started when his Achilles tendon snapped while playing floorball last summer in his native Finland. It took surgery and 4 1/2 months of lonely, mentally challenging rehab to get back in the lineup the final third of the season. Now all that work is paying off.

"It's been a long journey, not just in a career way, but the whole year with the things that happened, and I'm just excited to be part of this great group," Salo said. "All the blood and sweat you poured during the season has paid off."

QUOTE TO NOTE
"I've waited six years to even make it to the playoffs. You hear guys talk about all the time. You never know when you're going to get back, when you'll get another shot or how long it's going to take, or if you're ever going to get a shot. For most guys in this room, this is the furthest they've ever made it. In saying that, we understand we're only part of the way there." -- D Keith Ballard on making the Stanley Cup Final.

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