Shean Donovan was injured in Ottawa's 6-2 win over Pittsburgh on Thursday.

BY IAN MENDES

sportsnet.ca

It appears Shean Donovan's knee injury is not as serious as the Ottawa Senators initially feared with the winger expected to be out of action for at least six-to-eight weeks.

"It's just a matter of making sure the MCL heals and then you put a brace on it. I've had it hurt before, so it's not that big of a deal," Donovan told reporters on Saturday morning.

At first, it was feared that Donovan could miss the remainder of the season but an MRI on Friday did not reveal any significant structural damage to the ACL. However, head coach Cory Clouston said there may be further testing on the knee once the swelling goes down.

"There's a good chance there could be some ACL damage as well," cautioned Clouston. "So it might take six to eight weeks before we know what the complete extent of it is."

The injury occurred when he was hit by Matt Cooke in the third period on Thursday night in a 6-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The hit drew the ire of many Senators players and general manager Bryan Murray, but Donovan refused to publicly condemn Cooke for his actions.

"Obviously, I let my guard down. I've played against him many times and he finishes his checks. It was a hit and he finished it with his knee -- but it's not the dirtiest check I've ever seen," Donovan said.