Flames' Lucic on Smith hit: 'If I actually did charge, we both wouldn't be playing'

Milan Lucic and his head coach are on the same page - the situation could have been a whole lot worse.
The bruising Calgary Flames forward was assessed a five-minute major and ejected from the third period of Sunday's Game 3 loss to Edmonton after barrelling into Oilers' goaltender Mike Smith.
Lucic appeared to try and let up on the play, but still sent the veteran netminder flying with Calgary trailing 4-0.
“They called it charging, correct?” Flames bench boss Darryl Sutter said following a 4-1 Edmonton victory that pushed the Oilers ahead 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. “Could you imagine if (Lucic) did charge, what would have happened there? He actually tried to slow it down a little bit, I think.
“It is what it is. It was the score and who it was. That's what they called.”
Lucic, who once levelled Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller as a member of the Boston Bruins more than decade ago, chose his words carefully when speaking with the media Monday, but echoed Sutter's overall thoughts.
“I wasn't trying to hit (Smith)I was breaking,” said the 33-year-old, a hulking six foot three and 231 pounds. “I don't think I really want to get into what I was thinking or what I was trying to do or if he sold it or if he didn't.
“But I think I agree with Darryl in the sense of, if I actually did charge we both wouldn't be playing (in Game 4).”
Lucic added later the Flames, who finished atop the Pacific Division before besting the Dallas Stars in seven games in the opening round, need to take a step back after consecutive performances that weren't up to their standard following a 9-6 victory in Game 1.
“This is a good time to just decompress,” he said. “And realize that it's great to be in second round of the playoffs, playing the Battle of Alberta.
“Take a few deep breaths and just soak it all in and enjoy it.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
W5 EXCLUSIVE | Interviewing a narco hitman: my journey into Mexico's cartel heartland
W5 goes deep into the narco heartland to interview a commander with one of Mexico's most brutal cartels. W5's documentary 'Narco Avocados' airs Saturday at 7 pm on CTV.

Tyre Nichols' brutal beating by police shown on video
Memphis authorities released video footage Friday showing Tyre Nichols being beaten by police officers who held the Black motorist down and repeatedly struck him with their fists, boots and batons as he screamed for his mother and pleaded, ''I'm just trying to go home.'
OPINION | Selling a home? How to know if you qualify for a capital gains exemption
When selling a home, Canadians may be exempted from paying capital gains tax on a residential property -- if it's their principal residence. On CTVNews.ca, personal finance contributor Christopher Liew explains what's determined as a principal residence, and what properties are eligible for the exemption.
CRA head says it 'wouldn't be worth the effort' to review all ineligible pandemic payments
The head of the Canada Revenue Agency says it 'wouldn't be worth the effort' to fully review $15.5 billion in potentially ineligible pandemic wage benefit payments flagged by Canada's Auditor General.
Lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan fulfils dream of seeing first game, passes away next day
Mike Davy always dreamed of going to a Toronto Maple Leafs game, and once it finally happened, he passed away the night after.
'This is too much': B.C. mom records police handcuffing 12-year-old in hospital
A review has been launched after police officers were recorded restraining a handcuffed Indigenous child on the floor of a Vancouver hospital – an incident the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs has denounced as "horrendous."
WHO decision on COVID-19 emergency won't affect Canada's response: Tam
The World Health Organization will announce Monday whether it thinks COVID-19 still represents a global health emergency but Canada's top doctor says regardless of what the international body decides, Canada's response to the coronavirus will not change.
Canadian university faculty getting older, more female compared to 50 years ago: StatCan
Canadian university professors are mostly older and increasingly more female compared to 50 years ago, a new report from Statistics Canada has found.
Canadian Hyundai vehicles unaffected by theft issue in the U.S., company says
Hyundai cars in Canada don't have the same anti-theft issue compared to those in the United States, a company spokesperson says, following reports that two American auto insurers are refusing to write policies for older models.