COLUMBUS, Ohio — Penguins’ defenseman Brian Dumoulin was a game-time decision Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena after taking a wicked slap shot off his right foot in the playoff series opener Sunday.
Dumoulin probably was administered something a bit more potent than what Bob Baffert prescribes to his horses on race day to get him ready for Game 2 against the Islanders. The indispensable rear guard was gutting it out just fine until the opening seconds of the third period when this happened:
Brian Dumoulin heads to the dressing room after getting sent awkwardly into the boards. pic.twitter.com/TUDfr31aHT
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 19, 2021
If this high-speed wreck had occurred on a highway at least an air bag would have deployed. Instead, Dumoulin crashed heavily and awkwardly into the end wall without any protection, unable to brace for impact. The average human would have gone to the hospital. But Dumoulin is a hockey player, competing in the Stanley Cup postseason. After briefly retiring to the locker room to ensure his hip bone was still connected to his leg bone, Dumoulin returned and was instrumental in helping the Penguins earn a 2-1 win to even the series.
Just another night in the NHL playoffs, where the line between hurt and injured is routinely blurred like Paul Kariya’s vision in the 2003 Stanley Cup Final.
What sport has the toughest athletes, ones who can rebound from hellacious hits and gruesome collisions to get back into action? Football players quickly come to mind. Their threshold for pain is insane. The sight of Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields finishing last season’s semifinal playoff game against Clemson is one of the most courageous acts I’ve witnessed. The NBA has its share of warriors, too, even though the repetitive contact is usually not as violent.
But hockey players top my list, especially at this time of season. During the 2013 Stanley Cup Final, Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron played despite dealing with a broken rib, torn cartilage, separated shoulder and a punctured lung.
They call the Stanley Cup the “hardest trophy to win” for a reason.
Kariya, who retired early due to concussions, came back into that game after absorbing the brutal Scott Stevens’ blindside hit and scored a goal. Nowadays, Kariya wouldn’t be permitted to return to action due to concussion protocol, and that’s a good thing. Sometimes, athletes need to be protected from their valorous instincts.
But the ability of hockey players to endure a two-month war of attrition is part of what makes the Stanley Cup so special. They don’t get a week to recover ahead of the next game. It’s an every-other-night test of fortitude and bravery.
And in cases like Tuesday in Pittsburgh, players such as Dumoulin have about five to 10 minutes to decide if they can play through the pain. Who has time for traction when the Islanders are buzzing and looking to take a commanding 2-0 series lead on the road? Not Dumoulin.
Bad foot, bad back. And it’s only the second game of the playoffs. Dumoulin probably will take what NHL coaches call a “maintenance day” Wednesday — as if his body is a piece of machinery in need of a little WD-40.
Don’t be surprised if Dumoulin plays again Thursday night in Game 3 on Long Island. After all, he’s a hockey player.
YOUR TURN: What sport features athletes with the highest pain thresholds?
