Senators find playoff inspiration in Karlsson, Anderson, MacArthur
OTTAWA — Shortly after Ottawa’s first-round playoff win over Boston, Senators captain Erik Karlsson revealed he had been playing with two hairline fractures in his left heel.
Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion called it another example, along with Clarke MacArthur’s return and Craig Anderson’s resilience, of the inspiration the Senators are finding in their own locker-room as they prepare to open a second-round series against the New York Rangers.
Karlsson’s performance was earning rave reviews before anyone knew of his injury, but Dorion says it’s the star defenceman’s personal growth that’s even more impressive.
“The ability that he has to play through pain and be as dominant as he has not being 100 per cent says a lot about him,” Dorion said Monday, three days before the Senators and Rangers opened their series at Ottawa’s Canadian Tire Centre. “That’s what playoff hockey is. Battling through injuries, battling through little nicks and trying to do it for your teammates and for yourself.”