After playing in Game 3, Marc Staal was a surprising scratch in Game 4. The only news we had was Ryan McDonagh saying that he felt Staal’s decision to take himself out of the line-up for the good of the team was a brave one.
Staal further missed the optional skate yesterday, but did return to the ice today, and to questions from several reporters. The 26 year old defender would not go into details about why he elected to scratch himself, but said that the practice before Game 4 did not go well, and that he didn’t feel he would be able to help the team.
He further went on to say that he’s unsure as to whether he’ll play again in this series, and as a result Steve Eminger will once again dress tonight.
PIT
CAR
CBJ
WSH
PHI