SUNRISE | We may have the best intentions in the world, but we never know for sure how effectively we’ll get back into the game after a serious injury. Especially when it comes to an Achilles tendon injury like the one suffered by Anthony Duclair.
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Duclair suffered bad luck during a summer practice session and missed the first 61 games of the Panthers season. He only recently returned to the game after patient suffering.
“In the two weeks after the operation I had to be content to stay on the sofa and do nothing. It took three and a half months before I could walk again,” said the 27-year-old forward.
Obviously, there’s never a good time for an injury. But this one couldn’t have come at a worse time. In his second season with the Panthers, Duclair appeared to be on the right track. He had set personal bests with 31 goals and 58 points.
“You always try to improve from season to season. I think I’ve done a good job on this side over the past few years, he said. Such an injury takes a step backwards. »
Therefore, rehabilitation was not just a physical duty. Sometimes the mind also took its cold.
“You try to stay positive and come into the arena with a smile. But it’s going to be long. The motivation is lower there,” said the Montrealer.
Praise from Mauritius
Accompanied by the athletic trainer who is mentoring him in Montreal, that of the Panthers and a trainer specializing in sports psychology, Duclair managed to endure this ordeal.
Duclair’s work has not gone unnoticed by Paul Maurice, who has taken his place behind the Panthers’ bench since the start of the season.
“We have to give him a lot of credit. It was quite a challenge. He worked very hard, Maurice emphasized. And we’re not talking about a shoulder injury. For a skater, it’s a terrible injury. »
“In addition, he was certainly afraid that other players who suffered the same injury as him would have different problems afterwards,” added Maurice, referring to Max Pacioretty without naming him.
Barkov’s partner
Duclair did such a colossal job, including attending all of the video sessions, that he says he came back with a vastly enhanced version of himself.
“I learned a lot by watching the games. I focused on each team’s top two lines to see how explosive those players were and how successful they were,” Duclair explained. I’ve been taking notes to incorporate that into my game and I feel like I’m smarter on the ice. »
An intelligence and a different way of seeing the game that led Maurice to dare an experiment: pairing him with Aleksander Barkov.
“He always believed that to stay in this league he had to score goals. And it’s true, because he’s a Sagittarius. We felt that the marriage between Barkov and him could be perfect because he won’t try to give him the puck back every time Sasha passes it to him,” Maurice said before continuing.
“Now the question is can we make Anthony’s game strong enough to face him against the best opposing sides. So far we are quite satisfied. »
If Duclair proceeds in this direction, crossing the desert will have been to his advantage. As he himself said: “Everything happens for a reason. »