Some pretty choice quotes from Bruins D Aaron Ward, the victim of a sucker punch K.O. delivered by Carolina’s Scott Walker during the final minutes of Boston’s Game 5 rout on Sunday. Keep in mind, George McGovern won Massachusetts when reading Ward’s comments, as collected by the Boston Herald‘s Conroy & Harris (thanks to Rick Sawyer for the link)
œThe best thing about this whole sitautiuon is the first approach they took was that he was in there because Matt Cullen has a history of concussions, then when they realize the following action was a punch to the head, so that story goes out the door because that would involve a third man in from Scott Walker, so they drop that pretty quick, said Ward. œThen they went to (the idea) that we were engaged in a conversation. If you see the video, I didn™t see him, I didn™t talk to him, my hands were by side. It was the usual scrum (with Cullen), gloves on, you take a punch, no big deal, it™s three minutes left in the game, nothing™s going to happen. Out of convenience, they went to another story and I obviously feel it™s a convenient story that the NHL accepted. And I think if you as the media accept that, you™re a bunch of sheep. It™s a convenient excuse and in the moment it allows people to get off scot-free and not have to deal with it.
Ward also took a shot at his former GM Jim Rutherford, who in a statement implied that it was the Bruins who™d been taking liberties with his players and that the ˜Canes simplpy reached a point where they could take no more.
œI know Jimmy™s a pretty staunch Republican but I didn™t know he brought Karl Rove in here to spin it for him, said Ward.
Ward, who was sporting some puffiness and abrasions under the left eye, will not wear a visor for tonight™s Game 6.
œThe doctor saw the x-ray, advised me to wear a visor. I haven™t worn one in 16 years and I™m not going to start now, said Ward.