Hunwick is facing up to increased pressure

April 18, 2009|Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

WILMINGTON - In his first big league postseason appearance, Matt Hunwick couldn't keep the puck in the offensive zone, leading to Montreal's first goal. He was taken off the No. 1 power-play unit. He felt third-line grinder Tom Kostopoulos's elbow whiz past his ear in the final seconds. Then after the game, Hunwick emerged from a scrum with the hated Mike Komisarek with bruises encircling his right eye.

Welcome to the NHL playoffs.

"Definitely some ups and downs," Hunwick said after yesterday's practice at Ristuccia Arena. "After reviewing the tape [Thursday night after the Bruins' 4-2 victory in Game 1 of their first-round series], maybe I was a little harder on myself than I should have been. At the same time, pucks are bouncing and maybe nerves are playing a little bit of a factor. Once those things get smoothed out, hopefully the rest of the games are a little more consistent."

Yesterday the clearest signs of playoff intensity were all over Hunwick's face. During his postgame tangle with Komisarek, the rookie defenseman suffered cuts over the right eye. There was also a bruise on the side of the bridge of his nose. General manager Peter Chiarelli suspected Komisarek had gouged Hunwick in the eye. Hunwick required several sutures to fix the cuts. He said his vision is fine.

According to a replay Chiarelli saw, Komisarek tagged Hunwick with a gloved right hand. But while linesman Tony Sericolo was trying to separate the two, Komisarek delivered the eye gouge with an ungloved left hand. Komisarek was not given a penalty, but Chiarelli said he notified the NHL.

"It looked like he eye-gouged him," Chiarelli said. "That's all I'll say about that. I'll let the league decide if there should be punishment."

During an appearance on "NHL Live" yesterday, league disciplinarian Colin Campbell, who issued a one-game suspension to Philadelphia forward Daniel Carcillo for delivering a butt-end to Pittsburgh forward Maxime Talbot, made it sound like no discipline would be issued against the Canadiens.

"People take things out of different incidents [Thursday] night," Campbell said. " 'Oh boy. Same thing [as Philadelphia-Pittsburgh]. How many games are you going to suspend him?' You've got to let the games unfold. You've got to let hockey be hockey, playoffs be playoffs. You've got to let the energy flow. Then, when they cross that line, you do what you have to do."

Hunwick downplayed the incident. He explained it was a heat-of-the-moment situation and said he wasn't sure if a gouge took place.