Veteran centre is taken by stretcher off the ice after taking a knee to the head during the first period Thursday night in Toronto.
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We’ll never know how Toronto might have fared had it not lost John Tavares to an injury midway through the first period.
We do know the high-flying Maple Leafs needed considerable time to recover from the emotional loss of their captain in a scary incident. It’s also clear that the NHL’s unwritten code of an eye-for-an-eye still exists — or at least it does in the eyes of Toronto’s Nick Foligno, but more on that later.
Tavares was removed on a stretcher after taking a knee to the head from the Canadiens’ Corey Perry.
Tavares initially was knocked to the ice by Montreal defenceman Ben Chiarot. Perry, trailing on the play, attempted to jump over the fallen player. Instead, his knee smacked into Tavares’s head. Tavares attempted to arise, only to slump backward. After a lengthy delay, during which doctors from both teams rushed to his aid, he was taken from the ice.
Following the opening game of the North Division series, won 2-1 by the Canadiens, Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said Tavares was conscious and communicating. His tests were negative, but he was going to remain overnight in a Toronto hospital for further evaluation.
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“In an empty building like that, it was probably the most uncomfortable situation I’ve been a part of,” Keefe said. “It was really tough to get through. Our players were rattled and concerned. I was very concerned as well. We had ample time to settle and regroup, but I thought it took us quite a bit of time to find ourselves after that. It’s a difficult situation for everyone.”
Tavares is a key cog on a team with impressive offensive talent. With 19 goals and 50 points this season in 56 games — he was one of only three Toronto players not to miss a game — the 30-year-old centre provides a nice change of pace on the Leafs’ second line.
He also gives opposing teams another threat to worry about after NHL goal-scoring leader Auston Matthews and playmaker Mitch Marner, his talented right-winger.
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“Obviously, it’s a big loss for us, (but) we’ve got lots of depth,” Keefe said. “All our guys are going to have to play better. It’s a big loss. It’s our captain. Good teams overcome these types of things. That’s going to be on us now.”
When play finally resumed, Foligno, who lined up next to Perry, made it known there would be a score to settle. The two players immediately fought after the faceoff, at Foligno’s insistence.
“Our captain’s laying on the ice; it’s nothing more than that,” Foligno explained. “Perry obliged. It’s unfortunate. I don’t think it was malicious, but our captain’s lying on the ice. I think it just addresses the situation and everyone moves on.”
Foligno continued being asked about the incident in the post-game press conference. Although he made it clear Perry’s move was unintentional, the former Columbus Blue Jacket said it was imperative vengeance be sought. The more he was pressed about it, the more irritated Foligno became.
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“Whether you feel one way or another about it, our captain’s laying on the ice,” he explained. “I’m sure (the Canadiens) would feel the same way if it was their captain laying on the ice. I think it’s the right response. Perry’s a big boy. He obliged. We handled it, moved on and played hockey.
“It’s playoff hockey, first and foremost,” Foligno added. “You’re not taking a backwards step to anybody. Our captain’s laying on the ice, guys. I don’t know what more I need to say than that. You stand up for one another, whether you feel it’s right or wrong. We’re a family. I didn’t like it. We fought. Get it over with. It takes away any grey (area over) whatever happened.”
The Leafs, who led the division wire-to-wire during the regular season, have now lost home-ice advantage and are in a virtual must-win scenario when the series resumes Saturday night. And they must discover a way to score more goals against Carey Price, who appeared virtually unbeatable while facing 36 shots, showing no signs of the concussion that sidelined him April 19.
“He’s a good goalie, obviously, and he made some good saves for them,” said Zach Hyman, who returned after missing the last 11 games with a strained knee. “We’ve played them a bunch, so we’ve had success against him. We just have to get in front, make things dirty. We had our looks tonight. He made some good saves.”
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMihwFodHRwczovL21vbnRyZWFsZ2F6ZXR0ZS5jb20vc3BvcnRzL2hvY2tleS9uaGwvaG9ja2V5LWluc2lkZS1vdXQvc2NhcnktaW5qdXJ5LXRvLWNhcHRhaW4tam9obi10YXZhcmVzLXJhdHRsZXMtbGVhZnMtaW4tbG9zcy10by1jYW5hZGllbnPSAbUBaHR0cHM6Ly9tb250cmVhbGdhemV0dGUuY29tL3Nwb3J0cy9ob2NrZXkvbmhsL2hvY2tleS1pbnNpZGUtb3V0L3NjYXJ5LWluanVyeS10by1jYXB0YWluLWpvaG4tdGF2YXJlcy1yYXR0bGVzLWxlYWZzLWluLWxvc3MtdG8tY2FuYWRpZW5zL3djbS8xNzU2MDcwOS00MThmLTRkM2EtYjJlNC1mOWEwOGQ1YjUxZWEvYW1wLw?oc=5
2021-05-21 05:09:21Z
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