Distinct Kicking Motion

When Marc Savard of the Boston Bruins was carried off on a stretcher after being knocked unconcious by Matt Cooke  in Sunday night’s game between the Bruins and Penguins, many expected the Bruins would be inspired to play the rest of the season in honour of their star player. Fans and media alike expected the Bruins to come out flying in Tuesday night’s affair against Toronto, but after an overtime loss to the lowly Leafs, it was clear that the Bruins were not keeping their fallen comrade in their hearts. “We actually decided not to dedicate the rest of the season to Marc,” admitted team captain Zdeno Chara. “We as a team feel that it is best to move on and put Marc Savard behind us. We are in the middle of a battle for the playoffs and we can’t worry ourselves with trying to please an injured player. We have to stay focused, and unfortunately that focus doesn’t involve Marc.”

Head coach Claude Julien said it was a tough decision to make but one in which he said needed to be made. “I talked to them about it and as a group we felt that it was best to sever any ties with Marc in an effort to make sure we keep pushing forward instead of dwelling on the past. The toughest part was taking his stall down,” said Julien referring to the tradition of a team keeping a fallen teammates’ dressing room stall exactly the way it was left. ”Tossing his nameplate in the garbage was a hard thing to do but it was the first step in seperating ourselves from him. We all know what he meant to us, he was our leading scorer, but we have to forget him for now. Next year, if he gets over his concussion problems, we’ll welcome him back with open arms.”