Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Chris Clark Is a Hockey God

While we eagerly await the Wizards’ impending eight-month reign over the Eastern Conference, a tip of the ‘tism cap to the Captain of the Wiz’s Verizon Center co-occupier is in order.

As information continues to filter in regarding Chris Clark’s recent injury injuries, the inevitable (and apt) comparisons to Dale Hunter gain momentum. The terms “grit” and “scoring touch” seem to be getting paired a lot. After his impressive-enough shift-finishing-following-tooth-loss almost a year ago, we might have wondered what it takes to actually prematurely end one of Clark’s shifts. Now we know: chipped tooth and a slapshot-butchered ear. As nasty as the ear business looked and sounded, the added knowledge of a second injury incurred just seconds before adds to the growing stature of #17.

We already know he doesn’t shy away from whatever tough questions come his way, and we’ll soon find out it takes much more than just a chunk of tooth and ear missing to make Cap’n Clark shy away from his grittiness-with-a-30-goal-scoring-touch style of play.

We hope he makes it back tomorrow to play the Rangers, who are dressed in their usual Halloween fare of a high-priced, underachieving alleged Cup contender.

Until then, bring on the Wiz.