Tanev played through torn labrum and separated shoulder for Flames in playoffs
Warrior.
Ask anyone to describe Chris Tanev as a hockey player and there’s a good chance that’s the word they’ll use.
The 32-year-old Calgary Flames defenceman has earned that reputation for his courageous play on the ice. He never hesitates to sacrifice his body by blocking a shot or taking a hit to make a play.
He’s also willing to play through an extreme amount of pain.
Injured in Game 6 of the Dallas series, Tanev didn’t return to the lineup until Game 4 in the second round against the Edmonton Oilers.
Officially out with an “upper-body injury,” Tanev appeared to be playing with only one good arm.
Injuries are close-held secrets during the playoffs, so we had to wait until the Flames were eliminated on Thursday to find out what he was really dealing with.
According to a report from Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK, Tanev played with a torn labrum, a separated shoulder, and a sprained neck.
That hurts just reading it.
What a gutsy performance by Chris Tanev who played with a torn laberum, separated shoulder and had a sprained neck.
Surgery next week.
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) May 27, 2022
Despite those injuries, Tanev was a huge help for a leaky Flames defence. He played 19:24, including 2:03 while shorthanded in Game 4, and 22:08 in Game 5. Tanev was on for just one shorthanded goal-against during that time, and three goals-for at even strength. He even collected an assist on Mikael Backlund’s goal in Game 4.
He did all this while playing significant minutes against Connor McDavid at five-on-five — 5:48 in Game 4 and 8:04 in Game 5.