With: HKN–Sabres-Senators
By JOHN WAWROW
AP Sports Writer
OTTAWA (AP) -Sabres defenseman Henrik Tallinder is sore after being crosschecked from behind by Ottawa’s Daniel Alfredsson, and could miss Game 3 Monday of the Eastern Conference finals.
Coach Lindy Ruff on Sunday wouldn’t provide any details of Tallinder’s injury, but was unhappy that Alfredsson wasn’t penalized on the play. It happened midway through the first overtime of Ottawa’s 4-3 double-overtime win on Saturday, which gave the Senators a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Tallinder had just played the puck behind the Sabres net, when Alfredsson shoved him headfirst into the boards. Tallinder was slow to get up and groggy as he left the ice and went straight to the locker room. He missed at least one shift before returning to finish the game.
“I look at that as, probably if that’s the regular season, when the guy doesn’t have the puck, and gets run from behind headfirst into the boards, it’s a suspension,” Ruff said.
The coach said he’d leave it in the NHL’s hands to review whether Alfredsson should be punished.
Alfredsson said he did nothing wrong on the play and thought Tallinder could have been feigning injury.
“He came right back after, so I don’t know if he was trying to draw a penalty,” Alfredsson said. “He seemed fine.”
Tallinder’s loss would be a significant blow for Buffalo as he and Toni Lydman form the team’s top defensive duo. Tallinder ranks second on the team in averaging 23:13 ice-time per game, and has two assists.
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