Senators say struggling winger has lower-body injury
Alex Kovalev added more mystery to his roller-coaster season on Thursday.
Pointless in 11 games since returning from the Olympic break, Kovalev didn't make the trip to Buffalo for tonight's game against the Sabres, suffering from what the Ottawa Senators called a lower-body injury.
As has often been the case throughout his career, there's no shortage of intrigue surrounding the injury.
It was difficult to pinpoint where the injury occurred.
Was it during Tuesday's 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, at practice Thursday morning or did he aggravate a nagging problem?
Kovalev played 16 minutes 35 seconds in Tuesday's victory and was on the ice in the final minutes, attempting to score into an empty net.
He also practised on a line with Mike Fisher and Matt Cullen Thursday morning.
The announcement of Kovalev's injury came late in the afternoon, following coach Cory Clouston's press briefing.
Senators press officials said they would update Kovalev's status this morning.
Kovalev ranks third on the team with 47 points (17 goals, 30 assists).
He had been the club's most effective forward going into the Olympics -- he was double-shifted by Clouston in the club's final game before the break -- but has struggled to find his game since returning.
Senators fans showed their displeasure with his production by booing him when he first touched the puck in Tuesday's game at Scotiabank Place, and he's also receiving constant heat from Senators watchers in the form of emails to online newspaper articles and radio call-in shows.
All that said, that vitriol is nothing new for Kovalev.
Before signing a highly criticized two-year, $10-million U.S. contract with the Senators last summer, he enjoyed a love-hate relationship with fans during his four full seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, alternatively teasing with his natural talent and frustrating with his extended scoring droughts.
Former Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey even took the unusual step of telling Kovalev to stay home from a two-game road trip following a prolonged dry spell. Upon his return to the Canadiens' lineup on Feb. 21 last season, Kovalev scored a goal and two assists -- the goal and an assist coming in the first five minutes -- as the Canadiens defeated the Senators 5-3. The Senators can only hope he can respond to his latest absence with a similarly inspired performance.
Kovalev's injury also further handicaps a Senators lineup that is also without leading goal scorer Milan Michalek because of a left knee injury.
Elliott Credits Others
Brian Elliott has a chance to write himself into the Senators' record book tonight against the Sabres, but he's not patting himself on the back for his consecutive shutouts.
He's more than willing to pass the credit to others. Elliott says if it wasn't for defencemen Anton Volchenkov, Chris Phillips and Andy Sutton blocking their fair share of shots, nobody would be talking about his shutout string of 143 minutes 43 seconds.
If, however, Elliott can blank the Sabres until early in the third period tonight, he will break Patrick Lalime's team shutout record of 184:06, set in January 2003.
Alex Kovalev added more mystery to his roller-coaster season on Thursday.
Pointless in 11 games since returning from the Olympic break, Kovalev didn't make the trip to Buffalo for tonight's game against the Sabres, suffering from what the Ottawa Senators called a lower-body injury.
As has often been the case throughout his career, there's no shortage of intrigue surrounding the injury.
It was difficult to pinpoint where the injury occurred.
Was it during Tuesday's 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, at practice Thursday morning or did he aggravate a nagging problem?
Kovalev played 16 minutes 35 seconds in Tuesday's victory and was on the ice in the final minutes, attempting to score into an empty net.
He also practised on a line with Mike Fisher and Matt Cullen Thursday morning.
The announcement of Kovalev's injury came late in the afternoon, following coach Cory Clouston's press briefing.
Senators press officials said they would update Kovalev's status this morning.
Kovalev ranks third on the team with 47 points (17 goals, 30 assists).
He had been the club's most effective forward going into the Olympics -- he was double-shifted by Clouston in the club's final game before the break -- but has struggled to find his game since returning.
Senators fans showed their displeasure with his production by booing him when he first touched the puck in Tuesday's game at Scotiabank Place, and he's also receiving constant heat from Senators watchers in the form of emails to online newspaper articles and radio call-in shows.
All that said, that vitriol is nothing new for Kovalev.
Before signing a highly criticized two-year, $10-million U.S. contract with the Senators last summer, he enjoyed a love-hate relationship with fans during his four full seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, alternatively teasing with his natural talent and frustrating with his extended scoring droughts.
Former Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey even took the unusual step of telling Kovalev to stay home from a two-game road trip following a prolonged dry spell. Upon his return to the Canadiens' lineup on Feb. 21 last season, Kovalev scored a goal and two assists -- the goal and an assist coming in the first five minutes -- as the Canadiens defeated the Senators 5-3. The Senators can only hope he can respond to his latest absence with a similarly inspired performance.
Kovalev's injury also further handicaps a Senators lineup that is also without leading goal scorer Milan Michalek because of a left knee injury.
Elliott Credits Others
Brian Elliott has a chance to write himself into the Senators' record book tonight against the Sabres, but he's not patting himself on the back for his consecutive shutouts.
He's more than willing to pass the credit to others. Elliott says if it wasn't for defencemen Anton Volchenkov, Chris Phillips and Andy Sutton blocking their fair share of shots, nobody would be talking about his shutout string of 143 minutes 43 seconds.
If, however, Elliott can blank the Sabres until early in the third period tonight, he will break Patrick Lalime's team shutout record of 184:06, set in January 2003.
