Surprise Hossa scratch part of NHL injury culture

Boston • Marian Hossa is one of the Chicago Blackhawks' top scorers, with three game-winning goals already this postseason.

And then, suddenly, he wasn't in the lineup for a team that needed all the scoring it can get.

Hossa's surprise scratch from Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals — and the one-word explanation, "upper," for the part of his body that was injured — is part of a long-running cat-and-mouse game NHL teams play on the theory that any information about injuries is a competitive disadvantage.

"I think that's self-explanatory," said Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville, declining to explain why he declined to explain the secrecy surrounding Hossa's injury.

Tuukka Rask stopped 28 shots from the depleted Blackhawks to help the Bruins win 2-0 on Monday night and move two wins from their second Stanley Cup title in three seasons. Game 4 is Wednesday night in Boston before the series returns to Chicago for a fifth game.

Hossa is expected to play in Game 4, Quenneville allowed, but only after making clear that "I'm not going to get into exactly what the injury is or where it occurred."

"It's sort of a secret society in the hockey world and in the injury world," Blackhawks forward Dave Bolland said. "You don't want other teams having any injury information at all."

Asked if he had seen Hossa or had a chance to talk to him, Bolland said, "I don't know."

You don't know if you've seen him or talked to him?

"I don't know if I've seen him," Bolland repeated with a sly smile.

Hossa's mysterious injury may have been a turning point in Game 3, but it is hardly unusual in the secretive world of hockey injuries. Players and coaches say they just don't talk about what's hurting, partly because they don't want to seem weak in a sport where they hit each other for a living.

But mostly, they don't want let the other team know where to aim.

"If I'm going out to battle and I have an injury to any part of my body, I don't want the other side to know what it is," Bruins forward Shawn Thornton said.

Injury information can also help the opponent strategize. Quenneville was so concerned about giving the Bruins advance notice of even a few minutes that he didn't let substitute Ben Smith skate in the warm-up even though there was a chance he would need to play.

"I just didn't want to tip our hand that there's something going on," the coach said. —

Stanley Cup Finals

All games on Ch. 5 at 6 p.m.

Game 1 • Chicago 4, Boston 3, 3OT

Game 2 • Boston 2, Chicago 1, OT

Game 3 • Boston 2, Chicago 0

Game 4, Wednesday • Chicago at Boston

Game 5, Saturday • Boston at Chicago

x-Game 6, Monday • Chicago at Boston

x-Game 7, June 26 • Boston at Chicago

x- if necessary