Every team reportedly lost millions of dollars. For many players, October will be their first action at that level in 18 months. Former Windsor center Wyatt Johnston was taken 23rd overall by Dallas despite not playing regular games; his only notable competition was the World Junior Championship. Others did not play at all. Savard, whose No. He would one day like to own a team. When his kids are grown, he might dive back into golf.
The dates March 7, the Cooke hit and Jan. Sarnia, the season opener. A new season, a new opportunity, for someone who loves the game. The Bruins were all but toast in the playoffs last season when Brandon Carlo was clobbered by Islanders winger Cal Clutterbuck in Game 3 of that second-round series.
They lost in six games. Coming back from altitude has been kind of nice, heh. Carlo, entering his sixth season, has had four documented concussions Alex Ovechkin hit, ; Evgenii Dadonov elbow, ; Tom Wilson headshot last March; Clutterbuck check in May. The latter two incidents limited him to 27 games, not including eight in the playoffs.
Both Carlo and his employer believe he can stay healthy. For Carlo, 24, it came at the right time. You keep growing up and your goals get bigger and bigger. Savard, 40, last played with the Boston Bruins on January 23, , before having his career cut short because of concussion-related symptoms.
I'm the healthiest I've been in a long time. I didn't want it to linger on any more. My contract is up and I wanted to get it out there and head off in a different direction to pursue a coaching career," said Savard, via the NHLPA. Savard suffered a concussion in that Jan. That followed a catastrophic concussion in March 7, on a blindside hit from Pittsburgh Penguins winger Matt Cooke , which knocked Savard out for 29 seconds. Savard would only play seven playoff and 25 regular-season games after that incident, which was cited as a catalyst for the NHL tightening its rules for targeting an opponent's head on a check as well as increased supplemental discipline penalties.
Savard was placed on long-term injured reserve in , in the first year of a seven-year contract. Savard had 22 points in 25 playoff games, all with the Bruins. He developed depression, grew anxious and irritable. Watching the hit was tough on his family. Eventually, he began to seek help and travelled to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center UPMC — the clinic that has handled the post-concussion recovery of Sidney Crosby and others.
There, he was tested to his limits. It was at UPMC that he began to feel he was getting better and believed he was ready to return after missing the final 18 games of the regular season.
After a slapshot from team captain Zdeno Chara rebounded into the corner, defensemen Dennis Wideman pinched along the boards to leave a rolling, loose puck for Savard to blast over the shoulder of goaltender Brian Boucher.
Next, pandemonium as Savard screamed and shook his fists, slamming his stick twice against the ice before throwing it into the air and jumping into the boards surrounded by his teammates, the crowd deafening. The game was a lot for the returning Bruins centre, and he grew exhausted. In Game 4 of the series, after teammate and centre David Krejci broke his wrist and the Bruins and Flyers found themselves back in overtime, Savard played nearly 25 minutes, "and that kind of ruined me for the whole series.
The Bruins never forced him to come back. They insisted on following the protocols. But he was coming back. The transition, from the overtime winner to a complete restart a few months later, was tough.
Just as he had the year before though, Savard was unwavering on coming back for the season — one that saw the Bruins go on to become Stanley Cup Champions. So he got back to work, and eventually returned. After working to get back, and continuing to push doctors, Savard was cleared to play on December 2.
Michael Ryder got off to a good start this season but has cooled off to the Ryder we saw last season. The one that can't handle solid passes or coughs the puck up blindly and can't hit a wide open opportunity to score. We know we can't expect this guy to score 30 goals a season consistently, but we need him to at least not be counter-productive. Blake Wheeler has been playing center and has done a serviceable job at it.
There's talent in that large frame and the Bruins need to see more of it if he's going to play such an accountable position on this team. But most of all, the B's need their second overall pick from last summer to step up the most.
Seguin has been here all season long and is going through the growing pains of being a rookie in the NHL. We have seen him make his share of mistakes but we have also seen his bursts of speed and offensive playmaking abilities. He needs to emerge and be featured in key roles for this team the rest of the way.
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