Scanlan: Defiant Murray insists ‘we’ll recover from this’
Ottawa Senators general manager confirmed star defenceman Erik Karlsson is out for the season following surgery to repair a lacerated Achilles tendon.
It was fitting that on the darkest day of a Senators season many now view as cursed and mournful, the general manager would arrive dressed in black.
And yet, a defiant Bryan Murray insisted all is not lost, even with superstar defenceman Erik Karlsson out for the rest of the season following a horrific Achilles tendon tear suffered in Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, compliments of Matt Cooke’s skate blade.
“We’ll recover from this, without a doubt,” Murray said, bravely. “We may not be as talented but I think we’ve got a real good, strong character group and we have to hope they will carry us through.”
Considering a torn Achilles can be among the worst of athletic injuries, and that Karlsson is the best of Senators, perhaps the top player in the NHL at the moment he went down, Murray commendably turned the blind rage he experienced watching the incident into a broader, more positive outlook. In a media conference, he tried to have supporters of this team see the sun breaking through the dark clouds that have lingered over Scotiabank Place this season, while no fewer than eight players in the organization have fallen to injury, including three premier franchise players who required surgery: Karlsson, centre Jason Spezza (back) and defenceman Jared Cowen (hip).
Perhaps Murray was buoyed by the medical news, which wasn’t the worst. The cut, which severed 70 per cent of the tendon, was “clean,” and the 22-year-old Swede is expected to make a full recovery within three to four months. Some tendon injuries can sideline athletes for more than a year.
Dr. Don Chow, a team physician, was the lead surgeon assisted by two others during the operation on Karlsson Thursday morning in Ottawa.
“It’s all about the young man at this particular time, that he gets back to the level he was at as one of the good players in the National Hockey League, if not right at the top of the list,” Murray said.
While Murray spoke to NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan about a potential suspension for Cooke, he was not surprised none was forthcoming. The view around the league is that this play was a freak accident, that Cooke’s leg came up to pin Karlsson against the boards. So far, so good. But the Senators did not like the downward action of Cooke’s foot, which did the damage. Karlsson, himself, was livid after it happened.
“Erik was upset, he thought he got directed,” Murray said. “He got cut with a skate that shouldn’t be where it was, it was a nothing play at the time, it should have been blown down because the puck went into the net(ting). There’s lots of things that could have happened that didn’t happen.”
While Murray accepts the league decision, he’s disappointed it didn’t take into account Cooke’s history as an offender, including multiple suspensions for cheap shots. The player has tried to re-invent himself as an honest player with the Penguins, but is he capable of reform? Clearly the NHL could not bring itself to consider a player would be evil enough to intentionally cut another with his skate, and the evidence is not black and white.
Murray said a suspension wouldn’t have fixed anything anyway.
“I’m outraged by the fact we lost Erik Karlsson, that’s all,” he said. “I’m disappointed for him, I’m obviously disappointed for the players on our team and the coaching staff group and the fans in this city. And around the league – this was one of the most entertaining players, one of the reasons you come to the arena, to games at night. And to lose him is a tremendous loss.”
Where do the Senators go from here? They soldier on, gamely. They try to play with the heart and conviction that endeared them to Ottawa fans last season, when they weren’t supposed to make the playoffs, but did. If they don’t get there this year, fans will understand and imagine a brighter day ahead.
Young defenceman like Patrick Wiercioch and Mark Borowiecki will get a chance to play and grow – ditto for rookie forwards Mika Zibanejad and Jakob Silfverberg, but none can individually replace a Spezza, Karlsson or Cowen.
Team defence and scoring by committee are now in vogue.
“We don’t replace Erik Karlsson,” Murray said of the reigning Norris Trophy defenceman. “We don’t have anybody in that category of player. We hope that other people eat up his minutes and defensively – we just won’t allow any goals,” Murray joked.
As well as Craig Anderson has played in goal, it will be a challenge to remain air tight without No. 65 around to play 30 minutes, skating the puck out of danger, at will.
While Murray will look to acquire help via trade, he is reluctant to give up a first round pick or a bright prospect to do it. Some of the walking wounded are due back soon, including forwards Milan Michalek (knee sprain) and Peter Regin (upper body).
Asked how club owner Eugene Melnyk was taking the latest injury news, Murray said:
“He’s just like me. He’s frustrated and disappointed about losing some of our best players . . . but the solution is not to bitch and moan about it. It’s to do something on the ice that will help us remain competitive.”
More to come…
MORE ON KARLSSON INJURY
* Full audio from Murray press conference
* No supplementary discipline for Cooke
* Video: Karlsson injured in collision along boards
* Poll: Can the Senators make the playoffs without Spezza and Karlsson
* Senators lose ‘irreplaceable Karlsson’
Cooke should be suspended for the same length of time that Karlsson will be out. Once a goon always a goon! Watch out Crosby!
After having looked at the video of the incident over and over again twenty times there is no doubt in my mind that Cooke deliberately cut Erik. When I was playing hockey, that was called a “chop” and it is intended to disable. Cooke is a goon and that makes Shanahan just as much of a goon. I don’t know what Pitsburgh’s management is up to but they should put a leash on Cooke and send him to the minors for eternity. We don’t need this kind of malice in the NHL and no, nobody should go after Crosby. Why? He’s a great player and the NHL needs all of the positives it can get now after the lockout. Myself, I don’t look at games anymore.
I’m a Bruins fan but I feel for all of the fans of the over-achieving Senators. Your team plays the game the right way….it’s a shame the Bruins don’t play the Penquins this year…….perhaps Lucic could teach that POS Cooke a lesson.
Definitely not over-achieving… I don’t know what team you’re watching but this team gets everything they deserve (other than injuries) and they work their butts off for it. They surprised analysts once and you call that over-achieving? I’m sorry, we’re in the same division, you see us play enough, you should know by now that we’re better than half of the teams in the east.
Hey Sens Fan….. I think you have a different definition of “over-achieving” than I do. In my world, over-achieving is a compliment….it means that they have exceeded expectations…..they are fighting hard every night for 60 minutes and they are getting amazing results. It has nothing to do with being lucky and having things handed to them. I’m a huge Sens fan…….I have attended several games in Ottawa………and watch all their games on the Hockey Network.
yes we do!
I believe that hockey should have been abolished when it took so long to come to what ever agreement was made. It is no more fun to watch a bunch of stupid players trying their damnedest to hurt or maim their opponent.
Hockey should be about finesse and articulation of the puck not about knocking the opponent into oblivion.
Our youngsters are learning all the wrong things in life.
This is so unfortunate for the Sens and their fans but I don’t believe Cooke was intentional.
If I were a Sen fan I’d also be upset but this move happens every game and this time it went wrong.
Cooke has a rap sheet but he has cleaned up his act.
Bad luck – that’s all.
Philo;
If you don’t belive there was some level of malice then with respect, I say you have never played the game. PLayers like Cooke play reckless. He’s big, he’s tough, despite going turtle on Neil, and he plays reckless. Guys like that respond with incredulity when their oppoent goes to the ice following a wayward elbow, stick or in the case skate blade. I have NEVER, in all of my years following this game, seen a skate come up accidently and then come down with enough force as to cause injury like this. Never. Think about it. Most players are acutely aware of where they are and how they are on the ice at all times. When Cooke’s skate elevated and came out of position, I find it hard to believe he didn’t right himself in some other manner. No, instead his skate blade entered just behind the boot heel of Karlsson’s skate in just the right angle and with enough force as to sever his achilles. Accident? Give your head a shake.
Wings fan here, but overall love hockey and great players. I truly hope that Karlsson fully recovers and returns to your team next season in full form. Players like this are what makes hockey so amazing and fun to watch. As for Cooke, I’m sorry, but this is what bad reputations lead to – nobody believes you or trusts you. Whether he did it on purpose or not, it’s too bad the NHL has players as great as Karlsson on the same ice as dirt bags like Cooke. He should have been gone long ago.
I think the biggest thing the Sens will miss with Karlsson out is the effeciency in clearing the defensive zone. Without him the Sens will be pinned in their own zone far more often, which means more scoring chances against and probably more goals against.
well , this is a great opportunity for alfie to step up and lead the kids around him – and for those kids to prove themselves . I hope the team responds with courage , and not self pity .
A guy that liked to injure opponents with shots to the head uses a slicing action down the back of a leg of an opponent and it is supposedly a complete accident. It is the same action that goon soccer players use to eliminate their victims. Cooke has quite possibly been watching soccer lately.
The NHL is a third rate league in which the most talented players are always at risk of being eliminated by goons, quality is never a real cocern.
I think there are still some pretty good puck movers among the Defense. They won’t replace Karlson, but they’ll probably step up their game. That’s why they pay Gonchar the big bucks. Benoit was the second leading scorer in Binghamton because of that and Weircioch has similar skills. Paul McLean has a menu to choose from on any given night, but the guys up front have to finish the plays. I’m hoping they’ll continue to progress in that area.
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey good bye.
You were destined for the links long before this happened, this only cements it.
With that out of the way, it wasn’t intentional, but very unfortunate. Tough to lose your best player, or really any player for that matter on a preventable injury. Prevention meaning cut safe socks. I had a friend tear his AT in highschool many years ago…that was a nasty injury and it was a tough trip for him to recover. I wish Erik the best.
I have watched players ride another player into the boards like Cooke did to Karlsson hundreds, if not thousands of times, with one exception……….I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE PLAYER DOING THE RIDING LIFT ONE FOOT AT LEAST 12 INCHES OFF THE ICE AND SLAM THAT FOOT DOWNWARD IN AN AGRESSIVE MANNER. Watch it at regular speed…….watch it in slow motion……it doesn’t matter….it’s as obvious as the nose on your face……. Cooke was intending to put a hurting on Karlsson with that move. Not one announcer on the hockey channel has had the courage and guts to say just that. I wonder why that is?
the black cat strikes again. im just totally depressed.