We now are learning about which Wings were injured and just how bad they were. YIKES!!! I wouldn't be surprised if more injuries will be revealed in the coming days/weeks. It really is a tough business and I salute all who play the game!
From the Free Press:
Nicklas Lidstrom: He was speared in the testicles by Patrick Sharp during Game 3 against Chicago and underwent surgery on the area two days later. he Missed Games 4 and 5 against Chicago, then returned and played every game of the Cup finals.
Rafalski: He ruptured a disk in his back between the first and second round but returned for Game 6 against Anaheim. "It got to the point where he could play again," Holland said, "but if had been the regular season, he would have been out another week or two. He played through the pain of a herniated disk."
Kris Draper: He missed the first 10 games of the playoffs after taking a stick to the throat that tore cartilage in the neck area, Holland said. "As a precaution, we didn't want him to get hit in the neck and have something go down the air pipe wrong." Draper was out from Game 4 against Chicago to Game 5 against Pittsburgh because of a pulled groin.
Draper wore the equivalent of a goaltender's throat protector under his shoulder pads for the rest of the playoffs.
Pavel Datsyuk: Suffered a charley horse when he was hit along the boards and also was hit by a slap shot in his foot during Game 2 against Chicago, causing him to miss seven games. "The charley horse turned out to be more significant," Holland said. "He never was 100% -- he didn't have any thrust. A charley horse can be a 4-6-week injury, but he pushed through to play."Dan Cleary: Played through a groin pull suffered in Game 4 against Pittsburgh. "He was very sore after Game 4, and we didn't expect him to play in Game 5," Holland said. "An MRI showed he had a significant groin injury, but he wanted to play."
MLive.com confirms:
Pavel Datsyuk also had a charley horse, in addition to his foot injury. Both were sustained in Game 2 vs. Chicago. Holland said the foot was not fractured and it was fine by the time he returned, but the charley horse, similar to the injury Datsyuk suffered prior to the 2006 playoffs, really hampered him.
"He didn't have that jump, he definitely was not 100 percent but he had the hands and the hockey sense,'' Holland said. "He wanted to play so bad.''
Holland said if it was the regular season Datsyuk, who missed seven games before returning for Game 5 of the finals, would have sat out at least two more weeks.
...
Dan Cleary had a severe groin pull, so much so the the club didn't think he would play in Game 5 of the finals, but he gutted it out.
"He willed his way to play the rest of the playoffs,'' Holland said.
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"We rushed them all back when we knew there wasn't any danger of them hurting themselves any further,'' Holland said.
Holland said those were the only significant injuries sustained during the playoffs. None will require surgery.
