Keith, Toews Neither Admit Nor Deny Saying 'Wakey, Wakey' To Backes
(CBS) In the moments following the Blackhawks' Brent Seabrook's punishing, dirty hit on the Blues' David Backes on Saturday in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series, both teams engaged in trash talk.
In video that surfaced later, the phrase "Wakey, wakey, Backes" can be heard -- presumably from a Blackhawk -- as a clearly confused and dazed Backes wobbled on his skates and was held up by a trainer.
Asked after Monday's morning skate about the ordeal, Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith and center Jonathan Toews both said they couldn't recall exactly what happened in the heat of the moment.
"There's lots of things that get said out on the ice in the course of a hockey game, especially in playoffs," Keith said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. "I'm an emotional guy, it's an emotional game. I don't remember everything that gets said out there. I didn't even see the hit, to be honest with you. I'm playing the puck and I shot the puck around, the next thing you know, I see Seabs getting in a fracas, so I jumped in there."
Added Toews to the Sun-Times: "I don't know, some things were said in the heat of the moment. Most of that stuff goes unheard on the part of the fans and media. It's not easy to not regret some of the things that might have been said, whether it's on that play or any other play. Sometimes that happens."
The Blues were as forceful in their belief of the incident as the Blackhawks were evasive about what was said.
"I saw them talking to him," said Blues winger Ryan Reaves, according to Yahoo Sports. "It makes it a little more gutless. I don't think there's any need for that. He doesn't even know where he really is. I think if they want to start getting into that battle, we can play the same way. We'll see where it takes us."
Here's video of the hit and the comment from someone on the ice. The comment comes around the 46-second mark.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFCiYri04Oo#t=37]
Seabrook on Sunday was suspended three games for the hit. Game 3 is tonight at the United Center.
