ATLANTA — Florida Panthers goaltender Tomas Vokoun was taken off the ice on a stretcher after being accidentally hit in the head by the stick of teammate Keith Ballard in the opening period of Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Thrashers.
Vokoun had a cut on his ear but was alert when he was placed in an ambulance and taken to a local hospital, a Panthers spokesman said.
“Vokoun is going to be fine,” Florida coach Peter DeBoer said after a 4-3 loss to the Thrashers. “There was no internal ear damage, just a laceration,”
Ovechkin leaves game.
RALEIGH, N.C. — Capitals star Alex Ovechkin left Monday’s game at Carolina with an apparent right knee injury.
A spokesman for the Capitals said Ovechkin’s injury would be evaluated and any further information from the team would come today.
Ovechkin appeared to initiate a knee- to-knee collision with Carolina’s Tim Gleason as the defenseman attempted to take the puck out of the Hurricanes’ zone.
“Anytime Alex is hurt, I’m concerned,” coach Bruce Boudreau said.
Klesla injured.
Blue Jackets defenseman Rostislav Klesla was injured in a mid-ice collision with the Blues’ Barret Jackman. Klesla was helped off, not putting any weight on his left leg.
The Associated Press
