The 2012 Stanley Cup finals have been difficult for Kings forward Simon Gagne.
The 32-year-old has fully recovered from a concussion that’s kept him out of the lineup since Dec. 26. He’s medically cleared, practicing with the team and chomping at the bit of a second crack at the cup -- but he also knows the reality of the situation.
“It’s going to take something for me to get in,” Gagne told the Toronto Star. “If we win four in a row, it might not happen. I am not going to wish anything bad.”
Gagne missed 48 games during the regular season — and, obviously, all 15 of L.A.’s playoff games — and only recently resumed practicing. He’s been skating hard, having to the Stanley Cup finals once before (losing in 2010, with Philadelphia) and cognizant of the fact this might be his best chance at hoisting Lord Stanley’s mug.
He’s probably desperate to get back in, and the Kings organization is probably aware of this. Regardless, Darryl Sutter put the clamps on Gagne-related queries prior to Game 1.
“I’m not answering that question again about Simon,” Sutter said of the left winger’s status. “Cleared for contact, cleared for practice, travelling with the team. So there won’t be any further update on that one because, quite honestly, the answer’s the same.
“I don’t know how to answer it, right? You tell the truth or don’t say nothing.”
Don’t say anything, Darryl.
Don’t say nothing is a double negative.