Canucks played despite brutal injuries
By Ben Kuzma, The ProvinceJune 15, 2011 11:30 PM
Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks is knocked to the ice by Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins during the third period of game seven in the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup final in Vancouver, B.C. on June 16, 2011 .
Photograph by: Mark Van Manen, PNG
Alex Edler admitted he played with two broken fingers. Christian Ehrhoff admitted that he had to get a troublesome shoulder shot up and it will need addressing in the offseason. Chris Higgins admitted that his foot was never quite right after blocking a shot in the second-round series with Nashville and will need further attention. And Dan Hamhuis wasn't around to admit that he was probably sidelined in the Stanley Cup final series opener by a torn groin muscle.
Ryan Kesler? He wouldn't admit to anything.
Despite playing on one leg and having his teammates marvel at his resolve to take shots to endure the pain of a suspected groin tear and hip labrum tear, the Vancouver Canucks bit his tongue when he could have leaned on a crutch of convenience following a bitter 4-0 loss to the Boston Bruins in Game 7 at Rogers Arena.
"I'm not going to sit here and complain about injuries," said Kesler, who had a game-high six shots but just one assist in the series despite 18 shots. "I gave it everything I had tonight and I'm proud of that. I can walk out saying that it didn't happen and it's emotional to talk about right now.
"For me and for a lot of guys in this room, we can hold our heads high."
What Kesler won't talk about is how he was held together — or how he was shot up to dull the pain — to continue to play. It often didn't look like it because at various points that strong stride and his strength on the puck would appear. But not often and not long enough. The guy who dominated the Nashville series by figuring in 11 of the last 14 goals and was gaining Conn Smythe consideration, suffered a groin strain in Game 5 of the conference final but returned to force overtime with 13.2 seconds remaining. It would be his last goal of the postseason. Against the Bruins, he lacked strength to hold off Brad Marchand on a Game 3 shorthanded goal and couldn't corral Rich Peverley on a Game 4 charge to the net for a rebound goal.
Jeff Tambellini was summoned to join Kesler on the second line of the Stanley Cup finale in place of the injured Mason Raymond. He has been around the team long enough to appreciate the centre's drive. But being shot up and playing and then enduring the pain when those shots wore off?
"I think every stride hurt him," said Tambellini. "He never showed it. He never talked about it. We never heard about it all day and this guy is at true warrior. The fact he even came back is mind-blowing. To skate with the puck as much as he did. He took his game to a different level this year and should be rewarded by the rest of the league. Everybody appreciates what he brings and playing as hurt as he was outstanding.
"He put himself on a superstar level and it's going to be great to watch the rest of his career."
Edler suffered two broken fingers early in the third period of Game 6 in Boston and didn't return that night. He had trouble handling the puck in Game 7 had often dropped his stick. He also seemed to be skating straight up and had trouble turning and winning puck battles. Marchand easily walked around Edler and one point and rang a second-period shot off the post.
"Everyone is feeling a little sore at this time of year, but I'm not going to use any excuses," said Edler who had mid-season surgery on his lower back. "I have two broken fingers had I wasn't that strong on my stick. I had a little problem in the first round with my back, but nothing that kept me from playing.
"We just didn't play good enough in this series. They [Bruins] played hard and nobody said it was going to be easy. I don't really know what to say. It's just really tough right now.
"We played hard. We have a great group giving 100 per cent the whole season. It's too bad we came all this way and lost."
Added Ehrhoff of his ailment: "It [shoulder] was actually getting better. I don't know what's wrong with it. I had it shot up every day. I wasn't able to play any kind of physical game with it."
In the end, there was frustration all around. Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini tried to find a silver lining in a series that looked so good at the outset when the Canucks held a 2-0 advantage. But not winning the franchise's first NHL championship weighed on Aquilini.
"I'm very proud of the guys," he said. "They are outstanding individuals and I love that they played their hearts out tonight. They'll be back."
But that didn't make it any easier. Tambellini walked into a dressing room Wednesday that looked more like a hospital ward.
"There were probably shooting six guys up today," said Tambellini. "We dealt with a lot of adversity this year and to do that and come up one game short is a real credit to this group."
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