Ovechkin-gate

Washington (Com)Post: Ovechkin's Treatment Questioned

Allow me to break it down for you, if you haven't already heard....I do like Tarik El-Bashir, but like most newspaper writers he feels the need to repeatedly write one sentence paragraphs, so I've srunched it together a little better.

The winger left Washington's 4-3 overtime loss in Pittsburgh on Thursday
early in the third period after Kris Letang's skate caught him when he checked
the defenseman along the boards. Ovechkin, who entered Friday night as the NHL's second-leading goal scorer with 26, did not return to the game.

Ovechkin went almost immediately to the visitors' locker room at Mellon Arena for medical treatment after suffering the cut. But he said he had to wait for the Penguins' medical staff to finish tending to a Pittsburgh player, and therefore ended up missing the rest of the game. Coach Bruce Boudreau was not pleased by the delay....
"You make your assumptions on that," Boudreau said. "I don't know why. I'm
just told that it took upwards of a half-hour."

Pictured: Bruce Boudreau

Thoughts:
#1: Where's your medical staff, Bruce? Were they attending to the MRI of backup goalie Brent Johnson? If that is the case, perhaps it's your priorites that need a little adjusting.

#2: I put in bold the key phrase: the Pittsburgh doctor did not avoid treating Ovechkin, he was needed (and already in the process of) looking at another player (who happened to be a Penguin). Should he drop everything just to attend to the visitor? No. Just as if the doctor was already stiching AO's leg he shouldn't drop everything to treat a Penguin; unless of course there was a catastrophic injury. First come, first serve if you will.

Further, I don't recall a Penguins leaving the game in the 2nd period. The lockerooms are not behind the bench in Pittsburgh so it's clear if you have to leave the ice you just can't duck behind your bench. However I was not at this game so perhaps I didn't see or notice a Penguin off the ice. I think it's possible the doctor was treating the only player who it was very obvious that left the game: the aforementioned Caps goalie.

Truth be told, I lost a little bit of respect for Boudreau for this whole hub-bub. I can understand his frustrations of seeing a lead slip away late in the game and not having your best player around to help but does he really believe the Penguins and their medical staff would intentionally delay treatment to any player (regardless of stature) when they are injured? For shame, Bruce, I thought you were better than that.

Shake that Laffy Taffe

In somewhat of a surprising move, the Penguins recalled forward Jeff Taffe from Wilkes-Barre today. It’s not surprising given that Taffe is having a good season in the A (team leading 12 goals and 21 points) and has 100 career NHL games under his belt with Phoenix and NYR.

But no one is really hurt and it hasn’t been reported that winger Connor James (a healthy scratch last night after appearing in his first Penguin NHL game) was sent back to the farm.

The reason that’s a bit of a head scratcher is today starts the NHL’s Christmas roster freeze. After 11:59 tonight, teams can not trade players or send anyone to the minors until December 27th. They can, if necessary, recall players up---so it’s not like they couldn’t recall Taffe whenever they wanted.

This move would put the Pens at their maximum of 23 players (14 forwards, 7 defense, 2 goalies) so they don’t necessarily have to make a move. It’s just unusual, and a bit curious, that Shero and company have departed their regular theories and carried around these many bodies.

So, this news makes me immediately ponder the following knee jerk questions:
1) Is a trade about to happen sometime today?
2) We heard that Ryan Malone"was excused [from practice on Monday] so he could get a gash on his leg from a couple weeks ago re-evaluated by a doctor" but then he missed Tuesday's game with the all-encompassing “flu-like illness” that could be anything. Is it bad? But not bad enough to go on the IR?
3) Why hasn’t word come down that they sent James back down instead of healthy scratching him?
4) Is there a player dinged up that can’t play?
5) Does Pittsburgh just want to see if Taffe's goal scoring can spark the offense?

I think my best guess is probably #4 or #5, #2 is certainly the Oliver Stone angle and #1 is probably a pipedream at best.

I like what Taffe could bring to the table, he has a knack for scoring goals, but I don’t see why someone like James or Christensen needs to be a healthy scratch for the next week.

Perhaps the Penguins will answer some of my questions before the day is done…Stay tuned