NOTEBOOK: BEFORE HITTING ICE, TEAMS SNIPE.Byline: ELLIOTT TEAFORD Staff Writer OTTAWA -- All the action wasn't on the ice Monday night. Some of the best stuff was in the dressing rooms Monday morning. Hours before the Ducks and Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (French: Les Sénateurs d'Ottawa) are a professional men's hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). played Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Stanley Cup: see hockey, ice. Stanley Cup Trophy awarded annually to the winning team of the National Hockey League championship. Named for its donor, the Canadian governor-general Frederick Arthur Stanley, Lord Stanley of Preston Finals at Scotiabank Place Current arenas in the National Hockey League Western Conference Eastern Conference , the teams engaged in a nasty war of words. Ottawa's Chris Neil Chris Neil (born June 18 1979 in Markdale, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Ottawa Senators as a right winger. Well known of his style as a gritty player (who often borders on "dirty"), he plays on the second or third lines. objected to Ducks general manager Brian Burke's characterization Sunday of Neil's hit on Andy McDonald For the character in Coronation Street, see . For the professional skateboarder, see . Andy McDonald (born August 25, 1977 in Strathroy, Ontario, Canada) is a professional ice hockey centre and winger currently playing for the Anaheim Ducks of the National in Game 3 as "reprehensible rep·re·hen·si·ble adj. Deserving rebuke or censure; blameworthy. See Synonyms at blameworthy. [Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin repreh ." Neil said his elbows were down, but that "McDonald just sees me and falls." Neil also blasted Chris Pronger Christopher Robert Pronger (born October 10, 1974, in Dryden, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the NHL's Anaheim Ducks (2006–present). for his forearm that knocked Dean McAmmond  This article or section reads like a and may need a .Please help [ to improve this article] to make it in tone and meet Wikipedia's . out of Games 3 and 4. Pronger earned a suspension for Game 4, the second time in as many playoff rounds that he's been punished for a hit to the head. "I don't go out and stab a guy in the back after the whistle like Pronger does," Neil said. "Or slash you in the backs of the legs. Or grab you. That's what he does." Neil is no angel, however. He delivered a questionable blindside hit to Chris Drury Christopher "Chris" Drury (born August 20, 1976 in Trumbull, Connecticut) is a professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the New York Rangers of the NHL. The younger brother of former player Ted Drury, Chris has won the Stanley Cup, the Calder Memorial Trophy, the of the Buffalo Sabres, which sparked a wild brawl in February. Ottawa coach Bryan Murray criticized the tactics of Ducks winger Corey Perry. "Corey Perry never hits anybody without going to the head," Murray said. Said Perry: "I don't go out there and try to hurt anybody. It's not my style." Meanwhile, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle stopped just short of questioning the severity of McAmmond's head injury. McAmmond skated with his teammates during their morning workout and spent 20 minutes fielding reporters' questions. He said his neck was still sore, but that the headaches subsided considerably. Asked if he would be surprised if McAmmond played Monday, Carlyle said, "Nothing would surprise me. It's the playoffs. It's what happens. People make huge strides in their recoveries after suspensions (are announced). It's amazing." Tough task: Joe DiPenta drew the assignment of replacing Pronger in the Ducks' defensive corps for Game 4. DiPenta had sat out since Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, when Pronger returned from a one-game suspension for his hit on Tomas Holmstrom. Safe and simple are the best ways to describe DiPenta's game. He wasn't about to alter his method of operation even though he was filling in for Pronger, a Norris Trophy candidate as the league's top defenseman. "That's pretty much all they ask of me, anyway," DiPenta said at the Ducks' morning skate. "I make simple plays, that's basically it." Asked if he was nervous or excited, he said, "All of the above." DiPenta remained scoreless in 15 playoff games. CAPTION(S): 5 boxes Box: (1) PERIOD BY PERIOD - Daily News (2) HERO (3) GOAT (4) THEY SAID IT (5) DUCKS LEAD BEST-OF-7 SERIES 2-1 |
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