Habs' captain Koivu out indefinitely
Canadian Press
4/27/2006 12:12:02 PM
MONTREAL (CP) - Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu is out indefinitely due to an eye injury.
The star centre suffered the injury during Wednesday night's playoff loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. He was accidentally struck near the left eye by the stick of Hurricanes forward Justin Williams.
He remained in hospital Thursday.
"Other tests need to be carried out to see if or what damage has taken place," Montreal coach and GM Bob Gainey said Thursday after practice. "They won't be done until the next two or three days when the swelling subsides. He will be unavailable to our team for an undetermined period."
The Habs didn't say who will take Koivu's spot in the lineup, but recently recalled Andrei Kostitsyn and Jonathan Ferland from the AHL. Game 4 of the best-of-seven series is Friday in Montreal.
Koivu, who wears a visor, was breaking to the Carolina net early in the second period when rookie Chris Higgins fed him with a centring pass. Just as the puck was arriving, Williams appeared to try and lift Koivu's stick but instead hit him in the face.
Koivu was bleeding from the left eye area as he made his way gingerly to the bench and directly to the Canadiens dressing room.
There was no penalty called on the play, though referee Dennis La Rue was nearby and immediately blew the play dead at 4:52 of the second when he saw Koivu on the ice despite the fact Carolina had the puck and was breaking up ice.
Many in the Montreal dressing room afterwards had trouble understanding how LaRue missed the call, especially after Canadiens defenceman Mike Komisarek got nailed with a four-minute high-sticking call for an infraction on Cory Stillman with only 4:34 left to play in regulation.
"I didn't see a cut, it's not like (Stillman) needed stitches," said Canadiens centre Mike Ribeiro. "I think he bit his tongue. But they missed the one on Saku, and that one was more obvious than Stillman. If you give it with four minutes left, give the other one, too. But four minutes for biting the tongue? I don't get it."
Koivu, who signed a $14.25-million US, three-year contract extension on Feb. 11, had two assists in his two-plus playoff games. He had 62 points (17-45) in 72 games this season, his 10th NHL season, all with the Habs.
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Big blow to the habs, Koivu is an unlucky guy. Injuries, illness...
No call on that play, that would have been a 4-minute PP and could of won us the game. We were leading 1-0 and Carolina tied it up in the 3rd.
oh yeah, Carolina scored in OT on a PP goal by Eric Staal.
