Both Kronwall and Zetterberg defending McLeod saying it was a bad situation and not necessarily a malicious play.
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GLENDALE, Ariz. – Considering he was carried off the ice on a stretcher after having his head slammed into the glass less than 48 hours ago, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall felt fortunate to not be feeling any ill effects from a mild concussion.
He has no headaches. He didn’t skate Saturday morning and won’t play tonight against the Phoenix Coyotes (9 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit), but he rode the exercise bike for 30 minutes and hopes to practice on Monday.
“I feel really good, actually, after the circumstances,’’ Kronwall said following the club’s morning skate at Jobing.com Arena. “No issues. So far so good.’’
Listed as day-to-day, Kronwall isn’t sure when he’ll return to the lineup, but it should be a matter of days, not weeks.
His injury looked to be more serious when he was lying on the ice at the Pepsi Center, out cold for a few seconds, after a hit from behind by Colorado Avalanche forward Cody McLeod.
McLeod was ejected from the game and has a face-to-face hearing with NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan Tuesday in New York as he faces a possible suspension.
But Kronwall exonerated McLeod, blaming himself for the result.
“I shouldn’t put myself in that situation,’’ Kronwall said. “I know he’s a forechecker, he’s one of their more physical guys, (but) he’s just trying to do his job and I put both of us in a bad spot.’’
Kronwall went back to retrieve the puck in the corner when a hard-charging McLeod drove his head into the glass. Kronwall said he turned the wrong way.
“For some reason I thought he was closer to me than he was. I almost turned night into him,’’ Kronwall said. “But that’s already history. I’m feeling pretty good and looking forward to getting back on the ice with the guys.’’
McLeod apologized to Kronwall during the first intermission.
“I told him I shouldn’t have put myself and both of us in that spot, either,’’ Kronwall said. “I’m happy he reached out and I’ve got no hard feelings.’’
Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg called it a borderline legal play.
"(McLeod) comes with a lot of speed and hits him straight in the numbers,'' Zetterberg said. "I don't think he meant to do it, but it happens. A lot of those hits have been coming lately and that's something we have to get rid of in the game.''
“I shouldn’t put myself in that situation. .. He’s just trying to do his job and I put both of us in a bad spot.’’ -- Niklas Kronwall
How can the league accomplish that?
"It is difficult,'' Zetterberg said. "It's fast, it's high-paced out there. You just got to be more aware, got to respect the guys when you're close to the boards like that and you see the numbers.''
Kronwall said he lost consciousness for a few seconds and was back on track after trainer Piet Van Zant attended to him on the ice. He wanted to get up and skate off, but there was no way they were going to let him do that.
“You don’t want to worry people for no reason,’’ Kronwall said. “Once I got back on track I felt fine, but they were being precautious.’’
Kronwall believes he could have skated Sunday if the team had a practice (they are traveling and won’t be on the ice until Monday’s morning skate prior to playing San Jose).
“Do a little bit more of a workout tomorrow and we’ll see on Monday,’’ Kronwall said. “I haven’t even seen Tony (team physician Colucci) yet. We’ll see what he says when I get back. We’ll go through the testing and go from there.’’
Kronwall said he texted his mother in Sweden and called his girlfriend in Detroit immediately after the hit to let them know he was fine.
He spoke about the NHL’s efforts to eliminate head shots and hits from behind.
“First of all, anytime you get hit like that you got to look at what you could have done differently,’’ Kronwall said. “I know I could have done a lot of things differently.
“I shouldn’t have put myself in that spot in the first place. He’s coming in with a lot of speed, but I did turn the last second. It goes fast out there. It’s easy to go back and look at it in slow-motion and be very smart about things, but it’s hockey, everything is high-paced, it goes fast out there. Guys are going to make some bad decisions sometimes.
“In my case, I ended up on a stretcher, but I’m feeling pretty good and looking to get back on track.’’