Coaches of the Blues and Jets are engaging in a heated debate on the circumstances of Mark Scheifele's injury in Game 5.
Winnipeg Jets-St. Louis Blues Rift: Coaches Clash Over Mark Scheifele's Mysterious Injury
The Winnipeg Jets are a nasty habit the St. Louis Blues can't shake, winning Game 5 and leaving them one victory away from ousting the Blues from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But the real drama unfolded afterwards when star forward Mark Scheifele exited the game and both head coaches, Jim Montgomery and Scott Arniel, found themselves at each other's throats over the circumstances leading to his departure.
Most spectators presumed Scheifele left following a hit by Blues captain Brayden Schenn, a sickening blow that certainly looked like the kind of hit to put someone six feet under. Or at least that's how it felt from the safety of our armchairs.
But Montgomery claimed Scheifele didn't actually get hurt on the Schenn hit. Instead, he pointed the finger at teammate Radek Faksa, saying Scheifele continued playing for six minutes after the Schenn hit, before eventually leaving the game after the collision with Faksa.
"Let's set the record straight, Scheifele got hurt from the Faksa hit," Montgomery stated, throwing punches in the media spotlight. "He played six minutes after the Schenn hit. He didn't come back after he got rocked by Faksa."
Confused? So were we. It's hard to fathom why Montgomery would try to divert attention away from Schenn. Maybe he wants the Blues' captain off the Jets' radar in Game 6, but why throw Faksa under the bus in the process?
Arniel was prompted to address Montgomery's claims during his turn with the media. "I don't think Monty earned his medical degree attempting to dictate how our player got injured," he fired back. "He's off the mark. He shouldn't make such comments."
Arniel took aim at Montgomery's comments, accusing him of an unprofessional blunder. Further, Arniel expressed concern over plays like the one Schenn executed, a dangerous maneuver that sends players flying blindsided and lacks the simple courtesy of taking a long, hard look before delivering a hit. Arniel and the Jets have raised this issue with the league for several games, fearing such behavior could escalate into something far more serious[1][2][3].
It's a he-said, he-said standoff, and it's unclear if either side is likely to change the other's mind. But one thing's for certain: with all the drama brewing, Game 6 is positively chock-full of intrigue.
- Both coaches, Jim Montgomery and Scott Arniel, have engaged in a heated dispute over the cause of Mark Scheifele's injury in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
- Jim Montgomery claims Mark Scheifele was hurt not by a hit from Blues captain Brayden Schenn, as many spectators assumed, but by a collision with teammate Radek Faksa.
- Scott Arniel dismissed Montgomery's medical-degree claim, stating that he is off the mark and should not make such comments.
- Arniel also expressed concern over dangerous plays like the one executed by Schenn, which he suggests lacks courtesy and could escalate into more serious incidents.
- The controversy surrounding Scheifele's injury has added intrigue to the upcoming Game 6 between the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues, making it a sports-analysis hot topic in the world of sports, including hockey and football.
