In case you missed Felger and Mazz this afternoon, Mark Recchi had some interesting words on the whole Max Pacioretty getting a fractured neck and severe concussion. Audio is here but here’s what he said:
We’re very thankful that he is OK and he’s getting better. We know he was twittering at a movie four days later or five days later. Obviously if you had a concussion, a bad concussion like they said, you’re not gonna be in a movie. So, we’re glad in that sense in that he’s getting better but it was a hockey play and an injury happened.
Felger: Let me be more direct. Does it bother you that [Montreal] embellished [Pacioretty’s injuries] obviously?
Well obviously, yea. I mean when there’s an injury that — he obviously has a fractured vertebrae but the concussion was obviously really a non-factor, maybe a day or two. Maybe a day or two he felt it and then he was fine a couple of days later. I believe, yea, [Montreal] was trying to get Zdeno suspended and they embellished it a little bit and you know they’re trying to do what they could to get him suspended and I think the league sent a message that it was a hockey play and that’s the important thing.
That’s the thing people have to understand. If they deemed it something that was serious — I mean they just suspended Matt Cooke for up to 17 games for a head shot — they’re serious about protecting players right now. [Chara’s hit] was an interference play at worse and you know, the partitions got in the way. I don’t think Zdeno’s to blame for that, obviously; the league found that and we don’t feel as players it is. I’ve been people run into the turnbuckle maybe over 40 times in my career. As a winger, that’s the risk you take when you go along the boards like that — you get hit into those. You’re playing the game and it happens and what are you going to do?
Praise him or crucify him if you will, but Rex said nothing no one else was thinking when Pac gave his first interview a day or two after the hit and then was at the movies a few days after that. We didn’t hear or see Bergy or Savard for weeks after they got their severe concussion. Pac must be part of the Weapon X program.
Also, it makes perfect sense that a team rooted in diving and drawing phantom calls would try to embellish an injury report. It was a good attempt by Montreal to get one of the best defensemen out for a few games during a tight playoff race. Gamemanship, if you will.
Everyone was thinking it; Recchi just said it.
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