THE BEAST IS BACK:
With Stone questionable, Neil steps up
So of course, fans of the Ottawa Senators today would like to see P.K. Subban in one of two places:
The North Pole. Or the South Pole.
Unfortunately for them, but happily for the Habs and the entertainment value of this Eastern Conference quarterfinal, Subban is in Montreal for Friday’s second game in the best-of-seven playoff series, the Canadiens leading 1-0.
Game 1 on Wednesday was what you’d get if you dropped a blazing match into a box of fireworks, Subban’s now legendary second-period slash of Senators forward Mark Stone torching a very short fuse.
Subban was handed a five-minute major and a game misconduct; Stone left the game, then returned and left and returned a few times, involved enough that he was part of the Senators’ lastminute attempt to tie the contest and was a participant in the sortof battle royale at the final siren.
Words like lumberjack and tomahawk and intent to injure were later dispensed in the Ottawa dressing room, related to Subban’s slash, and in his postgame media briefing, Senators coach Dave Cameron suggested that if Subban wasn’t suspended for his act — and it was a thoroughly irrational act — then maybe Ottawa should just absorb a five-minute major when “one of their best players gets slashed.”
Then things got really interesting on Thursday:
Stone didn’t show up on Bell Centre ice for the Senators’ late morning practice, his status made clear on the team’s Twitter feed at 11:28 a.m. with a statement that he had “suffered a microfracture of his right wrist & his availability for the series is unknown at this time.”
Senators GM Bryan Murray said Stone was “very questionable” for Game 2 Friday, speaking of the potent rookie’s limited mobility in his right wrist.
Murray added: “The disturbing part from our point of view is that there was a threat made before by Subban to Stone,” the GM presumably having heard this from his player.
Cameron wasn’t fined by the league for his provocative words that could be viewed as a threat. Subban wasn’t fined or suspended for the slash, word of no additional discipline coming from the NHL before the Senators updated Stone’s condition.
That, in itself, displeased Murray, who wondered why the league dismissed action against Subban before all the facts, at least as they were reported by his team, were known.
Subban walked into the predictable media mob after Thursday’s Canadiens practice in Brossard and said it was unfortunate that this story detracted from the fine work of linemates Brian Flynn, Torrey Mitchell and Brandon Prust, who keyed the Habs’ Game 1 victory.
He was unhappy with himself because “I kind of felt I let my teammates down when I took that penalty,” the Senators scoring twice on their five-minute power play, their goals sandwiching Lars Eller’s short-handed score.
And then Subban denied ever having threatened anyone at any time.
“Listen, this is playoff hockey. I compete hard every game,” he said. “I’ve never threatened anybody out there. I don’t think I would. …
“There’s no intent to hurt anybody there, I’ve never done that in my career. It’s something my family and this organization don’t condone. I’m not out there to do that.”
On the penalty-kill with Eller in the box, Subban two-handed Stone across the right wrist, the Senators winger hitting the ice as Subban was ejected.
“I was just playing in front of the net on the PK. I don’t want to take a penalty there, we’re already down a man,” Subban said. “I didn’t even look to see where I was going to slash him, I just came down on him. … Obviously it’s something I can’t do. I don’t want to take that penalty.
“As far as targeting anybody, I’m not out there doing that. If anything, I feel like a lot of times I’m the target.”
Still, Subban had no issue with the penalty, saying it was the “right call,” even though Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said post-game and again on Thursday that the slash didn’t merit five minutes.
“I’ve been slashed a lot harder than that,” Subban said. “I don’t think it was that hard. I didn’t even really look at where I was putting my stick but (by) the same token, the ref ’s standing right there, it’s not a smart play.
“I can look at everybody else and point fingers, but it’s on me. I made the decision to slash him there. So I got the penalty and hurt my team.”
The gusts from both sides Thursday made for good off-day copy. But both teams know that grudges are less about satisfaction and more about losing critical focus in the sudden-death of the post-season.
This series might remain a nasty bit of business. But don’t look for it to centre exclusively on Subban and Stone, who might yet make a comeback that will fall somewhere between playoff normal and miraculous.
I don’t think it was that hard. I didn’t even really look at where I was putting my stick but (by) the same token, the ref’s standing right there, it’s not a smart play.