from Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun,

If Bobby Ryan was injured, it would have been stated as the reason he did not play against the Capitals on Saturday.

That’s how Guy Boucher works.

If Ryan was late for another meeting or broke a team rule and being disciplined, Boucher would have made no secret about that, either. He didn’t before.

If it was a family issue, or something else unrelated to hockey, Boucher would have said it was “personal matter” and asked that we respect Ryan’s privacy. That would have been that.

Instead, Boucher allowed the situation to escalate by adamantly refusing to speak about it. Whatever the reason for Ryan’s absence from the lineup — this is being typed before Sunday’s game ends, after which the player himself might speak — it only became a big deal because the coach allowed it to happen.

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