Last Updated on June 18, 2013 3:21 pm by admin
BOSTON (AP) – Marian Hossa is one of the Chicago Blackhawks’ top scorers, with three game-winning goals already this postseason.
And then, suddenly, he wasn’t in the lineup for a team that needs all the scoring it can get. His absence is part of a long-running cat-and-mouse game NHL teams play on the theory that any information about injuries is a competitive disadvantage.
Hossa was a late scratch for Monday night’s third game of the Stanley Cup finals against Boston. The Bruins won 2-0 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 4 is Wednesday night.
Various in-game reports said Hossa was hit by a puck during the pregame skate. But coach Joel Quenneville denied that after the game. Teams are only require to say whether an injury is to the upper or lower body, thus Quenneville’s one-word answer: “Upper.”
Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp says, “It’s all part of being this close to the ultimate goal.”