Mac’s on track for Game 3
Neck injury ‘literally not an issue at all’
Clarke MacArthur appreciated everybody’s concern Saturday. He wants everyone to know he’s fine.
After leaving the Ottawa Senators’ 6-5 victory over the New York Rangers in Game 2 at the Canadian Tire Centre early, MacArthur was back on the ice Monday for the team’s skate and he expects to play in Game 3 on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.
Players don’t normally talk about injuries during the post-season, but the 32-year-old MacArthur, who missed the better part of two years with post-concussion syndrome, told reporters after the 45-minute skate on Broadway he had a pinched nerve in his neck. He needed an adjustment from the club’s training staff and is set to play.
He got hit by New York defenceman Ryan McDonagh at the end of the first period and tried to come back in the second, but spent the rest of the game watching from the club’s dressing room.
“I feel good. I got an adjustment and it changed everything,” MacArthur said. “In the first game, I got hit and kind of fell on my left side. It’s kind of like having a pinched nerve.
“I got hit in the second game and it just kind of re-aggravated it. I got it worked on and it’s literally not an issue at all.”
MacArthur said he didn’t suffer a head injury.
“Not at all. If it had something to do with my head, I would definitely be pulled and out of it,” the Lloydminster native said. “We tried to work on it during the game, my whole left side was a little numb and it would be tough skating on one shoe. We figured we’d just hold off because (Jean-Gabriel) Pageau was taking over anyway.
“It was nice to have an injury where you knew you were going to be back the next day. We knew it was just a matter of it settling down.”
HART NOMS: McDAVID, CROSBY, BOBROVSKY
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky are the three finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy, the NHL announced on Monday.
The Hart Trophy, which goes to “the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team,” will be given out at the NHL Awards on June 21 in Las Vegas.