By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Tampa Bay Lightning veteran Marty St. Louis says it's never fun to go to the dentist, no matter if it's on a game day or not.
But, needless to say, St. Louis likely wasn't very happy to have to undergo a double root canal following Wednesday night's 3-0 loss to the Penguins in Game 1, due to two teeth loosened by a high-stick to the mouth from Pittsburgh D Zbynek Michalek.
"I didn't get home at 3 o'clock or anything,' St. Louis said. "But it was definitely my latest dentist appointment."
What bothered St. Louis at the time was that there was no penalty called on Michalek. St. Louis still led all forwards with 17:53 of ice time, and was at practice Thursday, with coach Guy Boucher calling him a "warrior." On the play, Michalek was falling down and swung his stick around, smacking St. Louis in the face.
"To me it was a careless play," St. Louis said. "Broken teeth and a fat lip, your emotion is going to get a little high, and probably got the best of me at that point in time. I thought it could have easily been a penalty. I don't see that play like the referees see the play, a different angle. I'm right in the battle, so obviously I was a little disappointed."
St. Louis felt reporters were making it "more of a story than it is," and wanted to move on, feeling lucky it wasn't worse.
"It's done, it's hockey," St. Louis said. "Sometimes you'll go to the net and get a puck in the face. You get stitches. I'm just happy it wasn't (a higher stick), it might have concussed me. I'll take the teeth instead of the concussion."
