Senators forward Mathieu Joseph said he's "not trying to hurt anybody" after he knocked Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin unconscious with a blow to the back of the head in Detroit's loss to Ottawa last Saturday.
"It happened so fast," Joseph said Monday.
The incident came during a Red Wings power play, with Larkin and Mathieu battling for space in front of Ottawa's net. Mathieu took a shot at Larkin up high, which knocked him out and sent him into another check toward the head as he was falling to the ice. Joseph said he was "just trying to box him out in front of our net."
"Don't really know who's in front and who's not," he said. "Obviously it was an unfortunate situation and you never want something like that to happen to anybody. But it was more chaotic and not really knowing what's going on during that play, more than anything."
Larkin and Joseph have a history going back to the 2021-22 season opener when Joseph, then with the Lightning, leveled Larkin into the boards from behind and Larkin responded by punching Joseph in the side of the head, which resulted in Larkin drawing a one-game suspension.
"It's such a fast game and you're not trying to hurt anybody out there. You're just trying to play hard," said Joseph. "And last time we talked after the game, too, and we both apologized. Like I said, it's a fast game, but things happen and obviously we're all competitors out there and we're just trying to win. It's never happened to me, but it's part of the game."
Larkin, 27, also has a history of scary injuries. He spent a couple nights in the hospital and several weeks in a neck brace after taking a cross-check to the upper spine area from Stars captain Jamie Benn late in the 2020-21 season. His return to the ice was the season-opener in which he was hit from behind by Joseph. He ended that season on injured reserve as well after undergoing core muscle surgery.
Derek Lalonde said Monday that there's "no timeframe" on Larkin's return after he was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 9. He's ineligible to play for at least a week from that date. Lalonde added that it's "unfortunate to lose a player of that caliber for an extended period of time." Larkin has 11 goals and 25 points in 24 games this season.
"Talked to him last night, seems to be in good spirits," said Lalonde. "He said it's a lot, pretty overwhelming and heavy in a lot of ways. Talked for about 20 minutes. It was just good to talk to him and hear his voice, and taking it day by day."
For Lalonde, it was a positive sign that Larkin came to his feet and left the ice with the help of two of his teammates instead of needing the stretcher that had been brought onto the ice.
"Obviously he's had a lot in his career injury-wise. He was down unconscious, motionless, a lot of those thoughts were going through my own head, and again, I think it was positive that he was able to get up and be helped off the ice rather than on the stretcher," said Lalonde.
When David Perron saw Larkin lying face-down on the ice, he took a run at nearby Senators defenseman Artem Zub. Perron draw a match penalty for cross-checking Zub in the face and is facing a suspension for intent to injure. Joseph, who got a two-minute minor for roughing on Larkin, said "you can understand the reaction" by Perron.
"I feel like not knowing what was going on, I don't think anyone really knew obviously," he said. "Pretty high cross-check, to be honest, but the league's going to deal with that and I'm just glad Zuby's OK."
