Andrei Svechnikov took a puck to the face tonight, and the Hurricanes can breathe easier because he appears to be okay.
It came off a clearing attempt by Nick Seeler, who lobbed the puck out and caught Svechnikov up high. Nothing about it looked intentional.
Those are some of the scariest plays in hockey. A routine clear can turn dangerous in a split second, and nobody on the ice has time to react.
Carolina still got the job done, winning 5-2 in Chicago to improve to 4-1-1.
The winger has been one of the team's most dangerous forwards early, with three goals and six points in six games, including two power-play goals and a game-winner.
He's 26 and carries a $7,750,000 cap hit. Losing him for any stretch would have hurt a team already juggling a lot.
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Rod Brind'Amour's Hurricanes dodge a scare in Chicago
The Hurricanes have plenty going on off the ice. They're among the frontrunners for Connor Hellebuyck and still working on an Alexander Nikishin trade.
The crease has been their weak spot, with Pyotr Kochetkov at .889 and Brandon Bussi at .851 before tonight. Keeping their top scorers healthy matters even more because of it.
Carolina should still take every precaution. A puck to the face can hide problems that only show up the next morning, and there's no reason to rush Svechnikov back before Tuesday.
It's like a line drive back at the pitcher. Nobody's at fault, and the whole building holds its breath.
Rod Brind'Amour's group hosts Washington on Tuesday. That gives the medical staff a couple of days to make sure everything checks out.
The Hurricanes got two points and their star back on his feet. On a night like this, that second part matters most.
Should the Hurricanes rest Andrei Svechnikov as a precaution?
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