Despite suffering brutal injury,Canucks' Salo laces 'em up

The fact Canucks defenseman Sami Salo even took the ice for the morning skate on Tuesday impressed players from both teams.

A few hours later Salo was in the lineup despite the groin injury he suffered in Game 5 on Sunday when he was struck by a deflected Duncan Keith slap shot and taken to the hospital.

The Canucks never disclosed Salo's injury, but the Vancouver Province reported it was not a ruptured testicle, calling it bruised.

Nevertheless, Salo's appearance in Game 6 was as gutsy as it comes.

"If he plays tonight, man, that guy's an ironman," Hawks winger Adam Burish told reporters before Game 6. "Maybe I will rub up against him, so I can get some of that toughness. How you can play through something like that blows my mind."

Salo's appearance at the skate gave his teammates inspiration.

"Just being out there shows how much he wants it," defenseman Kevin Bieksa said.

"It goes to show you what exactly we're playing here for," Canucks defenceman Shane O'Brien said. "How important it is to guys. You don't get a whole lot of chances to play on good teams and take a run at the Stanley Cup.

"He's the only one who knows how much it hurts. That's some serious pain. He's played through pain before, but if he can't go, we'll step up and get him back in Game 7. This is the time of the year you play through injuries or discomfort, but it's not like having a sore shoulder or a cut."

Salo was hurt at the first period horn Sunday and barely could make it back to the dressing room he was in so much pain.

"Sami couldn't move for the whole intermission," O'Brien said. "He was in tremendous pain. I'd rather take it off the face."

O'Brien and Burish didn't disappoint before Game 6, trading barbs just as they've done all series.

O'Brien brought up Burish when asked if the Hawks might target Salo's injury.

"It would be gutless," O'Brien said. "The Stanley Cup is the best thing to win in the world, but I think you draw the line there. That's guy code, isn't it?

"If you're going to go after a guy who has problem down below, you have to take a look in the mirror. When it's the family jewels, you don't do it. But Burish, that rat, he might do it. I don't trust him."

O'Brien didn't believe it when told Burish said he wouldn't cross that line.

"You're going to trust Burish, eh?" O'Brien said. "That's your first mistake. If he did rub up against it that would be Burish's first hit of the series."

Speculation centered on Lawrence Nycholat replacing Salo, but it turned out he wasn't needed.

Salo didn't play a regular shift early, but he was at the point on Vancouver's first power play after Troy Brouwer was penalized for high sticking.