Karlsson playing through foot fractures
Don’t ever accuse Erik Karlsson of not taking one for the team.
The Ottawa Senators captain confirmed after Sunday’s 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins to clinch the club’s first round playoff series that he’s been playing with two hairline fractures in his foot.
Karlsson, who blocked a shot in Philadelphia on March 28, told ESPN.com after the game he’s been getting regular treatment to help with the fractures, but he’ll be OK by the time Senators open their next series against the New York Rangers.
“I’ve been playing on shots (injections) and by Thursday it should be back to normal,” he told ESPN Boston’s Joey MacDonald.
Coach Guy Boucher couldn’t heap enough praise on Karlsson, who logged a lot of minutes in the series.
“This guy is a machine. That’s what it is,” Boucher said. “To be able to play that many minutes and be that good defensive and offensively, that’s where he’s at right now.
“He’s at such a high level. I really liked him on the bench today. He’s really caught up in what was happening. He can be fiery guy, he’s got a lot of emotion, but he’s really grown into somebody who knows how to use his emotion and when to keep it aside.
“Today was a perfect example of that and I was really impressed. To see where this guy is right now, to see him this year throughout the year, he has put the building blocks one on top of the other to become the player he is now and the man that he is now.
“I’m really fortunate to have lived it and seen it. Everybody benefits from it.”