Carolina goaltender Antti Raanta left the Hurricanes’ 5-2 Game 2 win of the first-round Stanley Cup playoff series with the visiting Boston on Wednesday night following a collision with Bruins forward David Pastrnak.
Raanta was playing the puck midway through the game’s opening frame when Pastrnak charged in and, while trying to avoid Raanta’s clearing attempt, collided with the goaltender’s left side. Raanta fell right to the ice in obvious pain and then exited for Carolina’s dressing room while bleeding from the mouth.
The team said Raanta has an upper body injury and will not return.
Pyotr Kochetkov came in to replace Raanta, in what was his NHL playoff debut. The rookie had appeared in only three games prior for Carolina, with a 2.42 GAA and .902 SV%.
Kochetkov becomes the third-youngest goaltender in franchise history to make his Stanley Cup playoffs debut, at the age of 22 years, 313 days. Kay Whitmore was 21 years, 360 days and Cam Ward was 22 years and 54 days when they made their respective NHL playoff debuts.
Pastrnak was initially going to be given a major penalty after the play but was ultimately assessed a minor infraction for goaltender interference.
The Hurricanes are already without usual starter Frederik Andersen, who suffered a lower-body injury against Colorado on April 16 and hasn’t played since. Raanta made his own NHL postseason debut on Monday in Carolina’s 5-1 Game 1 victory, posting a 35-save performance.
The physical game led to another injury later, with Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm exiting for good with an upper-body injury after absorbing a big hit from Andrei Svechnikov late in the second period.
Source: www.espn.com