Thornton Had Separated Shoulder Going Into Game 5 Loss

Added on May 26, 2011 by J Merrill in

NHL

San Jose Sharks Captain Joe Thornton told the media after they were eliminated by the Vancouver Canucks, that he played through a shoulder injury he sustained in game 4. It wasn’t an ordinary shoulder strain, he revealed it was separated going into game 5.

Thornton was obviously still upset at being eliminated in the playoffs, but he was quick to push it aside as well. He made sure to let everyone know that he, or the Sharks, were making excuses or trying to take anything away from the Canucks. Thornton said “It was sore, but no excuses. Tough series. We lost and they go on. To get here is an accomplishment, but next year we’ve got to beat it.”

As reported here on SBW, Thornton was hit by Canucks’s Raffi Torres when they lost on Sunday night, and he never returned to the game. Sharks fans were elated when they heard he would be suiting up for game 5, but unfortunately they fell short in their goals. Coach Todd McLellan heaped praise on his captain, and said this is why he IS the captain of the San Jose Sharks. McLellan said “Obviously, that’s a very courageous game for him to play. He did separate his shoulder last game. It was very painful. Our training staff and doctors did a tremendous job in preparing him to play. Like I had mentioned to you before, when he comes and tells you he’s playing, he’s playing.”

There are a couple ways to look at these situations. It is a heroic thing to do for his team, but what was he going to do if the Sharks came back to win the series and play for the cup? Is Joe Thornton going to play with his shoulder separated for another 2 weeks? From an owners stand point, you are risking him doing irreparable damage to his shoulder and him being injured for a long time. That would mean that they were one more Raffit Torres hit away from losing millions of dollars, and their captain.

What Thornton did was inspirational I feel, and certainly McLellan felt the same way. Its very easy to step off the ice with an injury like that, and no one would think differently. McLellan concluded “I think there was a lot made out of it prior to the game. But we were real confident in that locker room he was going to give us what he had, and he did. I think it’s a tremendous step for him as an individual and for us as an organization, have your captain show up and play that way.”