Nov 22, 2008 - 1:33 AM
0 shoutsNEWARK, New Jersey (Ticker) -- New York Islanders center Frans Nielsen left Friday's 5-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils early in the third period and did not return after suffering leg and head injuries.
Nielsen was on the receiving end of an open-ice hit by Devils defenseman Mike Mottau and remained down before being helped off the ice in obvious pain.
Nielsen's status for New York's game at Buffalo on Saturday is unknown.
"I know it was to the head," Islanders captain Bill Guerin said. "I came in and I watched it on video just to make sure. I know Mike Mottau, he's not a dirty player, but it was a dirty hit. I'm just sick and tired of hearing how the Players' Association has to get together on this.
"There's a lot of people involved in this. There's the players, there's the referees, and then there's the league. We all have a responsibility to the league to make it better. It takes away from the game."
Islanders goaltender Joey MacDonald also was angered by the hit.
"I thought his elbow was high," he said. "You don't want to be doing hits like that."
Guerin spoke to an on-ice official about the incident, which resulted in Mottau getting a two-minute penalty for elbowing.
"I was surprised," Guerin said. "I talked to the referee about it and he gave me his explanation. At the time, they're doing the best they can. They've got an extremely tough job to make big calls like that without the luxury of watching a video.
"Maybe that's what we have to do, put a little TV in there. If it's a questionable hit, a questionable head shot, it would take them two seconds to determine that. But you have to respect their judgment on the ice."
New York's Trent Hunter went after Mottau following the hit, instigating a fight that earned him 17 minutes in penalties. Guerin praised Hunter for his actions.
"He jumped in there, it was a great response," Guerin said. "It's just becoming a league-wide epidemic. Everybody's got to do a better job of cleaning that up."
The 24-year-old Nielsen has recorded two goals and seven assists in 19 games this season. A third-round pick in 2002, the native of Denmark has registered five tallies and 14 points in 50 contests over his three-year career.
