" Barring a miracle, Mike Fisher is about to miss the 194th game of what will be the 675 he's been eligible to suit up for through the first 8o seasons of his NHL career.

The good news for the Senators is that the latest damage shouldn't keep the centre out of many, if any, more than that.

Tests indicate the knee injury Fisher suffered in Monday's 2-1 shootout loss to the Rangers was not serious, but also that chances of him playing tomorrow against the Canadiens at Scotiabank Place fall into the "long shot" category.

Still, that his stay on the shelf will be short will be viewed as a positive for Fisher, who has had so much bad luck that even he is having trouble keeping up with the details.

Asked if the problem is with the same knee that kept him on the playoff sidelines last spring, Fisher could only shrug.

"I've had problems with both knees," he said. "Last year it was the other one, I believe."

Fisher headed for the exit signs moments after he became entangled with a Rangers defenceman.

"I finished the shift and I knew I did something, and my leg kind of locked up," he said. "I couldn't put any weight on it for a while. It was kind of a weird thing that I've never really experienced before."

Also expected to miss tomorrow's game is Chris Neil, who suffered a knee injury Saturday on Long Island.

"It feels better than when it first happened, but there's still some issues there," said Neil.

Minus Fisher and Neil, the Senators will surely turn to their AHL affiliate in Binghamton again.

With a hole at centre, 20-year-old rookie Zack Smith (nine goals, five assists, 26 penalty minutes in 16 games) could get the call.

They could instead opt for Cody Bass (1 G, 1 A, 37 PIMs in 16 GP) and leave Dean McAmmond in Fisher's spot. "