Big plus: Karlsson leads NHL in key statistic
Center has starred since his departure from Blue Jackets
COLUMBUS, Ohio — When William Karlsson steps onto the ice Tuesday for the first time since leaving the Columbus Blue Jackets, people will no doubt be surprised at the 35 goals he has scored for the Golden Knights.
After all, Karlsson scored just 16 goals in two-plus seasons with the Blue Jackets. But as good as the 25-year-old Karlsson has been offensively — and he’s having a career season — his defense has not suffered at the expense of beating opposing goaltenders.
He leads the NHL in plus/minus with a plus 39. The statistic measures
a player in even-strength situations; when his team scores, it counts as a plus, and when his team is scored upon, it’s a minus.
Karlsson has been an excellent penalty killer working with linemate Reilly Smith, helping to pick up opposing forwards, regain control of the puck and transition the Knights from defense to offense.
“It’s something I take a lot of pride in,” Karlsson said. “I’ve always tried to play both ends of the ice and maybe with all the goals I’ve scored, my defense gets overlooked sometimes.”
Not by Knights coach Gerard Gallant.
“He’s an honest hockey player,” Gallant said of Karlsson. “He doesn’t cheat the game. He’s always in the right position and he makes plays all over the ice.”
Karlsson’s defensive prowess should put him in the conversation for the Selke Trophy, which goes to the NHL’S top defensive forward,
KNIGHTS
There are all sorts of possible angles to this, and none are good for Alvarez or Golden Boy Promotions.
First things first. It happens. Clenbuterol is an anabolic agent that is found in meat in certain countries, with Mexico being one. Athletes in mixed martial arts and other sports have also cited tainted meat as the reason for a positive test.
But it’s also a stimulant that may be used in stacks with other anabolics to help preserve muscle mass while cutting fat.
“Clenbuterol is a very potent and effective performance-enhancing drug that would certainly help a boxer,” said Victor Conte, guru behind the BALCO doping sandal. “(Alvarez and Golovkin) fought six months ago. What have they been doing since then? For four months, they had the green light to do whatever they wanted.
“Here, we end up with this dogate-my-homework type of excuse and everyone thinks (Alvarez) was doing drugs. It is plausible that he did not intentionally cheat. Nobody can say for sure if there was intent or not. He could have used Clenbuterol for three months and there are still traces in his body. Or he could have eaten tainted meat.
“But these are multimillion-dollar athletes. I’d be shipping in fresh meat from someone other than Mexico. They had to know this was a possibility.”
Remember this term: principle of strict liability.
By definition from the World Anti-doping Agency, it means each athlete is strictly liable for the substances found in his or her bodily specimen, whether he or she intentionally or unintentionally used a prohibited substance or was negligent or otherwise at fault.
Which means Alvarez is guilty, whether he outright cheated or was just fed some bad steak.
Alvarez is a world-class fighter with an entire team of folks who should be testing for absolutely every known trace of what is put into his body.
They have just one job: Protect the fighter.
A statement from Golden Boy said the positive test was “consistent with meat contamination that has impacted dozens of athletes in Mexico over the last years.”
Then why in the world was the company’s golden goose training and eating in Guadalajara eight weeks out from such a megafight? Alvarez either cheated or those
around him are incredibly stupid or arrogant — or both.
If you don’t suspend him, why test anyone? What weight would VADA hold? What would stop any athlete from cycling on and off Clenbuterol and blaming tainted meat when caught?
It seems everyone is now waiting final word from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
My guess: The fight goes on. Most reports suggested as much Monday. In the world of drug testing, you can’t police and promote at the same time, and you can’t tell me Nevada isn’t worried that if it gets too strict in such cases, it fears losing such lucrative fights to states with less stringent testing. It’s a money thing, is right.
It seems Alvarez will receive the same benefit-of-the-doubt on the whole tainted meat claim as the California State Athletic Commission bestowed Fernando Vargas in 2016.
But if you don’t suspend Alvarez and postpone the fight, just stop drug testing. The whole thing will have become as much a joke as some Lithuanian basketball coach doubling as a butcher.
Contact columnist Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702383-4618. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on Twitter.