Red Wings confirm the worst for Michael Rasmussen on Sunday.

If the Red Wings or their fans were hoping for good news on the Michael Rasmussen front on Sunday morning, those hopes have now been dashed by Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde.

On Sunday morning, Lalonde confirmed that we will not be seeing Michael Rasmussen back in the Red Wings lineup anytime soon, with Lalonde stating that Rasmussen is being ruled out "indefinitely."

That is a huge blow to a Red Wings team that is in a tight race for a playoff spot, especially considering the fact that the 23 year old Rasmussen has been an important part of that process.

Rasmussen was injured during the first period of Saturday night's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning when he was on the receiving end of a hard shot from Lightning defenseman Zach Bogosian. The shot appeared to strike him in the leg and had Rasmussen limping as he headed off the ice, although we have no word yet on what the nature of the injury might be other than the confirmation from the Red Wings that this is a "lower-body" issue.