Letang and Michalek Both Suffering From Concussion Like Symptoms

Looks like the Concussion bug has bitten again.      Both Kris Letang and Zbynek Michalek are both suffering from concussion like symptoms.     According to Sam Kasan of the Penguins Report, both players are suffering from headaches just days after their respective hits.

Michalek suffered his hit  in the Montreal game, and has since then suffered both on and off the ice with symptoms from that hit.    Though he did pass his baseline evaluation, he is still a monitor closely, wait and see.    As far as Letang,  he suffered a hit from Pacioretty in the Montreal game that was actually suspension worthy.      He broke his nose in the hit, and for a couple of days seemed fine, at least fine enough to practice.     Though, in the past couple of days, he has been suffering from headaches and because he is actually sick, they can not give him the baseline test needed to evaluate him.

Here is the quote from Bylsma regarding Michalek.   “Michalek was hit in the Montreal game and didn’t play for approximately the last five minutes of that game due to the hit that he received. It was to the head. He’d been suffering on and off with some symptoms. He practiced with us, was fine. Just in terms of he’s gone to be re-evaluated, he did do a baseline test and passed, but is still suffering from a headache so he can’t be cleared because he has a symptom still. It’s really precautionary at this point and we’ll see where he goes. He’ll be exercising in the next 24 hours to see where he’s at.

On if a concussion is still a possibility for Michalek:
He’s passed the baseline, but he’s still suffering from a headache symptom. So kind of over the next 24-48 hours, both in exercise and moderated, we’ll see where he’s at. So yes. It is still a possibility.”

Here is Bylsma’s quote on Letang.   Kris Letang suffered the hit to the head (in Montreal), a facial injury. He has felt fine for a couple days and skated with us after being evaluated a couple different ways on Monday. He skated with us, felt fine. Started to get some symptoms in New York. He also has a virus and some sickness. So there’s some other things going on there with Kris that he’s not even to the point where he can take a baseline test right now because he’s ill. He is suffering from a virus as well. So they are both in 24-48 hour (timelines), to kind of see where they both go from here.

On Letang’s illness presenting symptoms that could be comparable to a concussion:
Yes. In addition to the injury to the head, the shot to the head that produced a broken nose, flying (on the plane to New York produced) some of that swelling. So kind of we’re waiting to see over a precautionary 24-48 hours to see how they’re doing and go from there. But both are not going to be there (Thursday).    That was courtesy from Sam Kasan Penguins Report from 11/30/2011.

Neither player is slated to play against the Washington Capitals tomorrow night. This comes after all the drama with not only Sidney Crosby, but also Tyler Kennedy recently.      This has become a trend that needs to change.     Not the diagnosis of concussions, but the hits that cause them!