Senators lose ‘irreplaceable’ Karlsson
The Ottawa Senators’ season officially ends on April 27, but from a truly competitive standpoint, it may already be over.
BY JAMES GORDON AND WAYNE SCANLAN
The Ottawa Senators’ season officially ends on April 27, but from a truly competitive standpoint, it may already be over.
Erik Karlsson, the defending Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s top defenceman and the Senators’ No. 1 blueliner, will likely be out for the season after suffering a laceration to his left Achilles tendon during Wednesday night’s 4-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Karlsson was in obvious pain while attempting to get off the ice after a collision with Pittsburgh agitator Matt Cooke as the final seconds ticked off the second period. The replay showed Cooke’s skate coming down hard on Karlsson’s leg, slicing clean through his sock.
The injury will require surgery to repair, keeping him out of the lineup indefinitely.
With top centre Jason Spezza already out long-term due to back surgery, the playoffs seem more dream than reality at this point.
Karlsson’s teammates tried to put on a brave face after the game, but it was difficult to sugar coat the loss of such an important contributor.
Daniel Alfredsson called it a “tough blow” after losing Spezza.
“Obviously, the way he’s playing and how much he means for us, for our team, it feels terrible,” he said. “And I feel really bad for him.”
Now the debate begins over whether there was intent to injure by Cooke, who has a history of taking cheap shots and knocking his opponents out of the lineup.
Karlsson was clearly furious, shouting something at the Penguins’ bench between grimaces of pain as he was helped off the ice.
Alfredsson chose his words carefully, but seemed unhappy with the hit.
“I don’t know it it’s intent to injure, but I don’t know why you would hit somebody like that in that situation.”
Senators coach Paul MacLean didn’t offer much of a comment either, though he did say “we all know who’s involved with it,” an apparent reference to Cooke.
Dirty hit or not, the Senators will have to come to terms with the loss quickly if they have any hope of keeping pace in the Eastern Conference.
Goalie Craig Anderson called Karlsson “irreplaceable,” but tried to put a positive spin on the situation nonetheless.
“But at the same time, it gives an opportunity to other guys to step up and come together as a team and fill that gap,” said Anderson, who was already tasked with keeping a low-scoring team competitive.
“You know, it’s exciting to watch Erik play every night, but at the same time, it’s a team game, not one guy that makes the difference in the outcome, so we really need to come together as a team and figure out how to play.”
The Senators were leaning heavily on their diminutive defenceman, playing him more than 30 minutes on several occasions and putting him out in all situations. That was reflected in his numbers — six goals to lead all Senators and 10 points, good enough for fourth among NHL defencemen this season.
MacLean called him “arguably the best player in the game,” and earlier in the day, another player who figures heavily into that argument summed up the challenge Karlsson provides for opponents.
“It’s pretty amazing to watch,” Penguins star Sidney Crosby said of Karlsson’s game. “Hopefully we don’t have to deal with that (Wednesday), seeing him rush up the ice too much, but he’s definitely a guy who just finds a way to create every night. For a defenceman, I don’t think that’s very easy, especially today the way teams are defensively.
“He’s up on the rush, he finds ways to produce. He’s pretty tough to stop.”
And now it’s something opposing teams won’t have to worry about for a long time.
I find it unacceptable that the league has multimillion dollar assets skating about and the socks they wear are not made of kevlar fiber or a similar material that is impervious to cutting or at least resistant. JUST boggles the mind. It is a real shame that this gifted player is out for the season and may be well we won’t go there. I wish him a speedy recovery. Talk about sh*tty luck.
There is a tendon guard on the skates but nobody tapes them to there legs anymore so when they bend their leg the tendon is fully exposed
Neckguards stop lacerations, why can’t socks!
They do have kevlar socks for hockey. Few NHL’rs choose to wear them. For those who think this was on purpose look again. I ahve played for a long time and got to a high level. This is about as normal a hockey play as there is. Very sadly a bad out come. Not a Cooke fan,, but come on. Look at the refs none whistle as a major cause on this one.
This feels like Deja Vu to me. I was living in Winnipeg, and was a huge Jets fan, when Teemu Selanne went down with the exact same injury. The season was pretty much over for the team at that point too. Teemu came back slower, but it forced him to be a smarter player. In the end it may have extended his career. I’m just remembering, not really trying to put a sliver lining on this.
If Sens fans are mad at anyone, they should be mad at the incompetence of the officiating crew for failing (where have we heard this before) to blow the play dead for a puck into the netting above the glass in the Pittsburgh zone.
Tough loss for the Sens.
I live in Toronto and am a Leafs fan, but i really feel for the Ottawa fans. This was a deliberate move by Cooke. He should be suspended for life from the NHL. disgusting player with a history of intent to injure star players. I hope the league does something about it.
A deliberate move? Give me a break. It was an innocent scrum play along the boards and his skate cut him. Case closed. I am a Leaf fan as well, and feel for Karlsson, but I have to strongly disagree with you, fellow Leaf fan.
Vic,
You’re completely insane….It’s a freak accident. Cooke hasn’t had an incident in nearly two years and has worked hard to change his ways. It was a clean hit that resulted in an unfortunate injury.
I don’t think it was a deliberate hit. If you look closely at most hits, a player rarely has both skates on the ground throughout the check. If this was a player without a history we wouldn’t be talking about it being deliberate. Terrible blow to the Sens nonetheless.
I agree with Anderson. Its’s too bad about Karlson for sure, but there was too much reliance on one or two players. This is a team game, and there are a lot of young players with the Sens that need to continue to step up their own game rather than hoping for the super star to put it into the net or lamenting about the loss thereof. It’s a great development opportunity for those players that are inexperienced at the NHL level. If they don’t get to the playoffs this year, it just strengthens them in the longer term, provided they continue to make an effort to improve and play the team game.
Is it just me or did that look intentional by the goon (multiple offender) Cooke. Why is his skate blade so high off the surface of the ice?
This was as intentional as it gets! Cooke, a multiple offender often just a hairs-breadth away from getting caught performing an intent to injure escapade, INTENTIONALLY lifts his leg to pin Kasrlsson against the boards. Not just with upper body strength to pin Karlsson which would have been quit acceptable, but Cooke actually raises/places his leg/knee in such a way as to pin Karlsson on the boards effectively taking his skate off the ice to nake the move and exposing another player to a potential serious injury. And that is exactly what happened, a serious injury. Now I understand that a high stick unintentionally can ride up the shaft of another player’s stick and catch someone in the face, and that gets called as high-sticking, and assessed as a penalty. And if there is a cut as a result it is an additional 2minutes on the high-sticking penalty. So why is intentionally lifting your leg to pin a player against the boards NOT a penalty and given it is Cooke, a multiple offender, it should be a SUSPENSION. Great work NHL. The likes of Cooke take out the best players and the NHL turns a blind eye! Typical SUBJECTIVE officiating and SUBJECTIVE inconsistent application of rules and officiating! Heck, if Chris Neil looks sideways at another player he would get a 2minute penalty….I’ve seen that done many many times! Poor officiating, abysmal application of rules, subjective calls, missed calls, incompetent refereeing, repeat offenders ……. and yet if such an incident were done to say Sydney Crosby the NHL would come out like banshees weighing in with the full force of disciplinary action rather than the incompetence the NHL are showing on this recent Cooke incident on Karlsson.
Bob, first of all, It’s Sidney Crosby. He’s not from Australia. So that’s point number 1 that you’re obviously not a hockey aficionado.
So you’re saying that Matt Cooke (who notably does have a history) went in there with the intent to sever another player’s achilles tendon with the blade of his skate? That’s the claim you’re making? Give me a break. It was a clear cut accident. Watch the re-play. He was off balance and his skate came up. Jordan Staal had his foot stepped on by P.K. Subban 2 years ago and nobody said a word.
Everyone is jumping to conclusions because it is A. Matt Cooke, and B. the Senators lost their best player.
Stop being such a homer. Crosby has taken headshots for which there was no penalty or suspension. Lots of bodychecks of this nature in every game. Lots of times a skate comes off the ice in the process of finishing a check. I’m not a Penguins fan, but this did not look intentional, regardless of the fact that Cooke is dirty.
Why does this continue to happen on a regular basis to players at all levels of hockey, when there IS a solution?
Last week a junior player almost lost his life as a result of a severe skate blade laceration to the wrist, this week it’s Karlsson’s Achilles, done for the season, huge financial impact to the team and a major blow to the team’s chances of progressing into the playoffs.
Laceration injuries are on the rise as the game gets faster and the players keep their skates very sharp, even sharpening them between periods. You hear more and more about these serious, career and life threatening injuries. It only took a fraction of a second, on an innocent looking play that happens several times per shift, every period, every night, and at every level of the game!
Look past the unfortunate season ending injury to one of the NHL’s elite players, and wonder how that might have turned out if a similar injury or perhaps one that included a lacerated artery, as per 16 year old Brady Barron who a few weeks back was 2 minutes away from death had it not been for the nurse who jumped the boards to save him. What if this would have occurred at a Minor, Atom or Peewee game, in the suburbs, or outskirts of town or, or…
The sad part is that these injuries occur on a regular and increasing basis. 15% of injuries in the NHL are laceration injuries that are preventable. Unfortunately until someone gets seriously hurt, or possible worse, the leagues and associations do not react. It took Clint Malarchuck’s horrific neck laceration injury, a slew of serious eye injuries and lately increased awareness of concussion type injuries to spawn mandatory neck protection, visors, and helmets at the minor and junior level.
There is a small Canadian company, Bodyarmour, right in Ottawa with a solution. They have reached out to hockey associations at all levels who are all interested, impressed but…., what is it going to take? How many more serious injuries must occur or will it take a lethal injury before laceration protection can be offered to young kids and players of all ages, at all levels of the game?
Cooke needs to get suspended.. the more I watch the replay the more I see how much of a dirty hit it was.
Cooke is known to be a dirty player, now he’s going to down play this and say it wasn’t intentional!? Bull.
I’m almost ready to bet that was their point; to get Karlsson out because of all the good attention he was getting, being the best defencemen and all….
Whatever you need Penguins, to make sure you win….dirty play or not..
- Unsatisfied viewer.
Caroline, The Penguins don’t need to play dirty when you have Crosby, Malkin, Neal, Kunitz, Letang, and a world class goaltender.
Guys, look at the replays. This was a legal check into the boards. Cooke looeses his balance and in trying to find his footing, comes down on the back of the leg. While a tough break, no intent was there. If someone puts a legal check on a player, but it results in injury, thats doesn’t make the act worse. Of course he lifts his leg to make a better play, that doesn’t make it wrong. Cooke has been working hard to change his style of play. He has lowered his penality minutes at ton for the last 1 1/2 years and hasn’t had any incidents in front of the league office. I guess his history makes him suspect, but you need to look at this play and not make assumptions on intent. Just a unlucky break.
It’s not the fact that Cooke’s skate is so high off the ice that is intentional. Its not that he brings his skate down hard on the back of Karlsson’s leg that is intentional. These to things to me are all acts of a hockey play.
What IS intentional is the split second that Cooke realizes where his skate is positioned against Karlsson’s achilles, Cooke, slides the skate blade along the tendon like a steak knife. THAT is intentional. The puck was moving the other direction. Why not attempt to get your skate blade on the puck moving right to left along the boards. Instead, he pulls the blade away from where the puck is heading.
Professional hockey players play for a living. They don’t get too high in duress situations. They keep a level head. You and I in that situation would act in a scrambly way in the corner and be under duress trying to pin a player in the boards. Therefore, we think its impossible to have enough control to slice his tendon like Cooke did. These guys know exactly what they are doing 99.9% of the time. This is one of those times. Cooke slid his skate blade along Karlsson’s tendon. Look at the replay. If Cooke would have done what is natural and pushed down with his skate to gain balance, it wouldn’t have happened. Or if he would have went for the puck, it wouldn’t have happened.
I’m still so upset about what happened to Erik. I think I feel worse than when Bobby Orr went down maybe because he got hit with ckecks not back stabbed with a skate! It brings back a bad memory from about this time 49 years ago when I was playing Juvenile for the Fergus Flyers and we went on Percy Gibson’s bus to play in Brampton. His son Ken was our captain and best player and that night a guy they called spaghetti burner butt ended Ken in the mouth and he lost all his front teeth. I don’t know if there even was a penalty but when Ken skated over to our bench it looked like ketchup running out of his mouth and all teeth were bent back. I’ll never forget it and our team and I did nothing about it! That’s what bothers me to this day. Thanks for listening.
Clean hit by Cooke. He has changed the way he plays from his “goon” years. Unfortunate
injury for Karlssson and the Sens. Injuries are a part of the game, see : Sidney Crosby.
This is clearly an intentional, unconscionable attempt to injure by a repeat offender. Anybody who has played hockey at an elite level full well knows that it is an unnatural physical act to have your skate raised off the ice by over a foot while at the same time being in complete control of your body. The intent to injure is further highlighted by the stomping motion directed at the back of Karlsson’s leg.
It is astonishing to listen to sportscasters around the league (including Pierre McGuire) suggest that this was simply “a hockey play”. If this is what hockey has become then it certainly warrants no following what so ever.
What is sad is that the NHL will once again do nothing to protect its multi million dollar assets by effectively removing the repeat culprits such as Cooke.
Cooke lifted his leg, stomped and then made a dragging motion. By not reacting the NHL has once again disgraced itself.
I don’t understand how supposed hockey experts on TSN suggest this was a hockey play.
I see Cooke deliberatly kick the back of Karlson’s leg. Of course he didn’t want to cut his tendon, but he sure wanted to hurt him for this game.
Big time Rangers fan here with utmost respect for the Sens. In fact, I was close to laying a bet on them last year before the playoffs to win the cup. I really, really enjoy watching this team and they have become my 2nd favorite team in NHL. Erik is a joy to watch, what a special talent. This is such a shame and the fact that Cooke did it makes it hard to rule out intention. I love the agitators in the game (Prust, Sens own Neill, etc..) the guys that fly around and cause havoc, BUT it has to be done within the rules (both formal and informal) This guy Cooke has been a cheap, dirty player since day one. Can’t stand that it was Erik that went down and Cooke who caused it.
No one likes to see ANY player receive an injury, especially a serious one that could end a season or worse, a career. Only Matt Cooke knows if his move was intentional. We can freeze frames from any game and see distortions or leers or skates up or down. Yes, Matt has a disturbing past. But since his long suspension, he really has tried not to be ‘the dirtiest player in the NHL’. He has a family that he cares about and has worked hard to improve his style of play and his image. But hockey fans have long memories and this won’t help. It’s a fast, physical game with sharp blades and sharp sticks. Every player knows the risks. I am sorry for Karlson and the Sens. And I am sorry for Cooke. It is a tough break
Congratulations Penguins.. you did the damage to Spezza’s back to put him out. He was dealing with minor back pain prior to that game.. but during the game something happened that put him out.
Now Karlsson. Was it intentional by Cooke.. who knows. It looked like a hockey play.. but he did stomp down with his foot. (And I’m a Sens fan saying that).
Cooke did say he did not mean to do it.. and he is sorry.. but he probably said the same thing after he ruined the career of Marc Savard. I don’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth.
But to sit on the bench in that 3rd period and show absolutely no remorse… really upsets me.
And to turtle when Neil wanted to fight him in the 3rd for what he had down.. shows downright cowardess to me, Mr. Cooke. You would have ‘paid’ for what you did.. but now the Sens will wait.
It may be 2 mos before these teams play again.. gives the Sens even more time to get mad at what you did. They have a couple of players on the Ottawa Sens that can take care of you… and even more in Binghamton..
Be prepared Penguins for that game in late April. You have dashed any hope of the Sens making the playoffs this season. Two top 6 players left in the lineup, about 5 rookies between offense and what will be a patchwork defense.. and a bunch of 3rd & 4th liners.
The Sens have lost 4 of their top 6 team players — the two best to injuries caused by the Pens. It’s a shame that the exceptional season by Anderson will be wasted with no chance anymore of a playoff run.
Mr. Shero & Mr. Bylsma — you had better leave some of your best players in Pittsburgh for that April game… it could be a blood bath…
I have to disagree with you, on most of your points Sandy.
A: Spezza; You said it yourself, he was dealing with back pain/injury prior to the Pens game. Hockey is an incredibly stressful game on the legs and back. It is fast and violent. The fact that he went into that game hurt and then aggravated it more shouldn’t really shock anyone and there is no reason to think that if he played any other team that night the outcome would have been different.
B: “But to sit on the bench in that 3rd period and show absolutely no remorse”, Remorse implies that he knowing did something wrong.
C: “And to turtle when Neil wanted to fight him in the 3rd for what he had down.. shows downright cowardess to me, Mr. Cooke. You would have ‘paid’ for what you did.. but now the Sens will wait.”, I have two issues with this statement. 1: Cooke knows full well his reputation and also knows that any altercation on his part will result in penalties, suspensions, fines, any and/or all of the above in addition to hurting his team in the last minutes of game. Cowardice doesn’t seem to fit the bill, there was no reason for Cooke to fight. I don’t blame Neil for going after him, he had too in a show of sticking up for Karlsson. 2: What does Cooke have to pay for? Again we go back to intent, and I (along with the majority of the world not caught up in emotions) do not believe that there was intent on Cooke’s part.
C: The last part of your post sounds more like a line from a mob movie. IF the Sens management does pull up its “hit squad” then it is clearly caught up in emotions and not dealing with facts. Not only will the NHL be policing that game very very heavily but they will most likely warn both teams before hand about such activities.
I can understand your emotions at losing multiple star players and you want something to take your anger out on and because of Cooke’s reputation he (and by extension the Pens) is it. If your argument is based on Cooke’s rep then you are looking at the past and then you must also look at the recent past which shows that he has reformed his style of play and has been as clean as anyone since his last suspension in 2011.
Bottom line this was a horrible accident and there is no need for biblical reckoning.
we now have two great players Erik and Jason out for the season. The rest of the team has to pick up the slack and give 110% to make the playoffs . All the best for the rest of the season. GO SENS GO