Music: {allcanada} MAPLE LEAFS' PHANEUF LEAVES GAME WITH LOWER-BODY INJURY

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

{allcanada} MAPLE LEAFS' PHANEUF LEAVES GAME WITH LOWER-BODY INJURY

TORONTO -- Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf left Tuesday's game against the Ottawa Senators with what the team is calling a lower-body injury.

Phaneuf got tied up with Ottawa's Peter Regin at 6:11 of the second period and fell awkwardly to the ice. He needed assistance to get to the team's dressing room. The Leafs confirmed he would be out for the rest of the game.

The 25-year-old has been a lightning rod for criticism early this season, with Leafs GM Brian Burke holding an impromptu press conference during the first intermission of the game to scold fans who had booed Phaneuf during a 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday night.

"Frankly, I think it's a disgrace," said Burke. "We're 10 games in and all the time I worked in Vancouver, I don't think I ever had a player booed. Our team got booed a few times and we probably had it coming. I think it's really unfair to Dion because of the other things he's brought.

"The mistakes he's making generally happen when we're behind and he's trying to make something happen."

Phaneuf was a team-worst minus-6 heading into Tuesday's game. He'd also failed to score.

"He's playing against the best forwards on the other team all the time," said Burke. "When your team is struggling, your best defensive pair are usually minus. We're putting him out against the top guys all the time. So that stat doesn't bother me, lack of scoring doesn't bother me, I think he's playing well."

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