Rock Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 Misfortune strikes Koivu again http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL/Playo...555212-sun.html By CHRIS STEVENSON -- Ottawa Sun Montreal Canadiens' Saku Koivu heads to the dressing room after being cut in the face during playoff action against the Carolina Hurricanes Wednesday, April 26, 2006 in Montreal. (CP Photo/Ryan Remiorz) MONTREAL -- He's been in this position more than any human should be, wondering, waiting for news that can be life-altering. Once is too much for anyone. Canadiens captain Saku Koivu remains in hospital, waiting for the blood and swelling in his left eye to subside so doctors can determine how much damage the stick of Carolina Hurricanes forward Justin Williams inflicted Wednesday night. Koivu, who battled and beat cancer in 2001-02, knows about waiting and wondering. Yesterday, he was waiting for more tests, the results of which will determine if he can play again in these playoffs or if at all. He's out indefinitely, but at this point the hockey part of it is really inconsequential, isn't it? This isn't a knee or a shoulder that can be easily fixed, relatively speaking. We're talking about the quality of a young man's life here. Defenceman Craig Rivet, Koivu's best friend on the Habs, spoke to Koivu yesterday morning while Rivet drove to the rink. It was a frustrating experience. "I'm asking him questions about his tests and he's asking me questions about the game," said Rivet. "He was happy to hear my voice and happy to talk to someone. He was in good spirits and waiting for more tests. There's a lot of bleeding in the eye right now and I think it's too soon to speculate on what the problem is." Canadiens coach-GM Bob Gainey, as unflappable as ever in the face of this development, said it will be another 24-48 hours before the swelling will subside enough for doctors to do the tests they need to do to determine the extent of the damage. Is Koivu's vision at risk? "I can't answer that," said Gainey. "I'm working from the information I have, but also from the point of view that it's an eye and in that type of injury, you take the worst-case scenario and work backwards." Koivu left early in the second period of Game 3 on Wednesday night after the blade of Williams' stick came up and went under Koivu's visor as the Montreal forward drove to the net. No penalty was called on the play. The images were sickening. Blood from Koivu's eye on the ice, Koivu grasping at his face, scrambling blindly towards the Montreal bench, reaching out desperately to a linesman who finally came to his aid, Koivu's hand extended beseechingly for help. Williams got Koivu's cell-phone number from teammate Mark Recchi, an ex-Hab and Koivu teammate. He didn't reach Koivu, but left a message. "I told him I hope he gets the best possible news," said Williams. "I was trying to cover him and I accidentally hit him with a high stick. I definitely hope for the best news for Saku. Nobody wants to see anybody get hurt, especially in the eye." Koivu's health is the important thing, but the playoffs inevitably roll on. Ex-Senator Radek Bonk, who's had a strong playoff, might have to play a more offensive role in Game 4 tonight as the Habs try to put a 3-1 stranglehold on the series. Gritty Steve Begin is still a few days away from returning from a knee injury and he could at least fill the penalty-killing gap left by Koivu's absence. BITTER SETBACK The Canadiens had every right to be bitter about the officiating, but the gravity of Koivu's situation makes the missed call less significant in the big scheme of things. There was no penalty on the play and the Habs lost the game, in overtime, on a power-play goal by Carolina's Eric Staal as the 'Canes avoided going into a 3-0 series hole. "This is tough. He's not only our best player, but he's an inspirational guy," said Rivet. "He's been leaned on all year ... We understand what we've lost, but we've relied on team play and we'll still be doing those same things. We've really grown as a team in the latter part of the year." The Habs could have wallowed in self-pity yesterday, but with the stoic Gainey striking the mood, they pushed forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizDevil30 Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 So much for the visor. Not saying they are useless, but when something this devastating happens to a player's eye, how can you not wear one. I hope Saku recovers 100%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elias2600 Posted April 29, 2006 Share Posted April 29, 2006 yeha I really enjoy watching saku play. he is such a great faceoff centermen. I've enjoyed watching the rod brind a mour vs koivu faceoffs all season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted April 29, 2006 Share Posted April 29, 2006 "I told him I hope he gets the best possible news," said Williams. "I was trying to cover him and I accidentally hit him with a high stick. I definitely hope for the best news for Saku. Nobody wants to see anybody get hurt, especially in the eye." Kudos to Williams. Hope Saku is okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annabelle Posted April 29, 2006 Share Posted April 29, 2006 Not a fan of Montreal at all, but it's crappy what happened to Saku, i mean the guy beat freakin cancer!! Anyhow, best wishes to him and his family!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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