Koivu slash costs Ohlund 4 games

By Kent Youngblood, Star Tribune

Last update: November 19, 2007 - 12:13 AM

On Sunday the NHL suspended Vancouver defenseman Mattias Ohlund for four games for his two-handed slash on Wild center Mikko Koivu's left leg late in the third period Friday night.

That means Ohlund will not be in uniform when the Canucks come to Xcel Energy Center for Wednesday's rematch. Whether it was a fair punishment depends on whom you talk to.

"I think four games sounds like a good suspension," Wild captain Brian Rolston said after the Wild defeated Colorado 4-1. "Obviously no suspension is long enough if Mikko is out of the lineup for a long time."

In Vancouver, there was a little different spin. Ohlund said he respected the NHL's decision. But he also said he felt the elbow Koivu tried to throw in his face moments before had been reviewed as well.

"I think that would have been pretty fair," he told the Vancouver media. "I think there was some plays that should have been reviewed, and I'm sure they were.... I don't think [the elbow, for which Koivu was assessed a minor penalty] was a very good play on his part, but obviously I wish I would have done something differently than what I did. But things happen in the heat of the moment, and it's something I'm just going to have to deal with."

The Canucks were unhappy with an elbow Marian Gaborik threw at Ryan Kesler, calling for disciplinary action. The Wild complained that Kesler had been taking runs at Gaborik all night. Vancouver claimed Wild winger Stephane Veilleux had shot a puck at one of their players as time expired, something Veilleux denied.

The suspension will cost Ohlund $74,866.32.

"Players [are] accountable for their actions," NHL senior vice president and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell said in an e-mail to the Star Tribune. "Particularly when they cause injury."

Wild President and General Manager Doug Risebrough wouldn't comment about the suspension. Vancouver GM Dave Nonis did, but said little.

"It's the league's decision, and we're going to obviously live by it," he said. "I respect the job they have to do."We've [had] very exciting games against [Vancouver], very emotional games against them," said Wild coach Jacques Lemaire, who said he could "live with" the suspension. "I think it doesn't matter if he's in or out, it will be the same."

You can bet the hype will rise as Wednesday approaches. After Friday's game, Wild enforcer Derek Boogaard was quoted in the Vancouver Sun as saying, "Maybe I go out and slash [Markus] Naslund or Pinky and the Brain twins," referring to the Sedin twins.

Sunday morning Boogaard insisted -- and replays of the interview prove --that he didn't say that. He said, "check," not "slash."

Etc.

Defenseman Sean Hill, his 20-game suspension served, was eligible to play Sunday, but Lemaire decided to make him a healthy scratch, in large part because of the way Keith Carney played in Vancouver Friday. Hill was the only healthy scratch.

Kent Youngblood • kyoungblood@startribune.com

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