John Carlson out indefinitely as NHL returns from break
The Daily Goal Horn
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Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson will be sidelined indefinitely after being hit in the head by a puck during Friday’s 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.
Carlson was struck in the right side of the head by a shot from Winnipeg’s Brenden Dillon during the third period. He fell to the ice and was bleeding and was taken to the hospital for what coach Peter Laviolette termed as a precautionary measure.
“He’s under the care of team physicians and is being transported to the hospital for precautionary evaluation,” Laviolette said. “We just want to make sure that he’s good and he’s safe.”
The team said Carlson was discharged from the hospital on Saturday and will remain under the care of team doctors.
Carlson has 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 30 games this season.
Overall, the 32-year-old Carlson has 140 goals and 474 assists (614 points) in 917 games over 14 seasons, all with Washington.
In the victory, Alex Ovechkin passed Gordie Howe for second on the NHL’s all-time goals list. He has 802 career goals.
NHL Returns to Action
The NHL is back in action after the Holiday Break with 11 matches including the Capitals taking on the New York Rangers in a huge Metropolitan Division tilt at Madison Square Garden.
There were 12 games on the docket but the NHL was forced to postpone Tuesday’s game between the host Columbus Blue Jackets and Buffalo Sabres due to the travel ban in the aftermath of a blizzard that socked the Buffalo region.
The Sabres were scheduled to travel to Columbus on Tuesday morning.
However, the Buffalo airport remains closed after the winter storm that dumped roughly 50 inches of snow beginning Friday. The airport is expected to be shut down at least through Wednesday morning.
The NHL did not announce a makeup date.
The Sabres’ home game against Tampa Bay on Friday was also postponed due to the impending storm. Buffalo, owner of a four-game winning streak, hasn’t played since Dec. 19.
Other key matchups tonight is another installment of The Battle of Alberta with the Edmonton Oilers in Calgary to face the Flames. In Winnipeg, the Jets look to hold off the surging Minnesota Wild and the Pacific Division’s second place Los Angeles Kings look to narrow the gap with first place Vegas Golden Knights.
Full NHL Schedule for December 27 here.
Other notable injury news
Rasmus Sandin
The Toronto Maple Leafs placed defenseman Rasmus Sandin on injured reserve Thursday with a neck injury.
Sandin had an assist and played 8:30 before leaving Tuesday night’s 4-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Sandin, 22, has registered two goals and 12 assists in 33 games this season. He leads the team with 74 hits and ranks third with 38 blocks.
He has 42 points (eight goals, 34 assists) in 121 games over parts of four seasons since the Maple Leafs drafted him in the first round in 2018.
Toronto also recalled defenseman Mac Hollowell from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis.
Hollowell, 24, made his NHL debut this season and has two assists in six games.
Matias Maccelli
Arizona Coyotes forward Matias Maccelli will be out for six weeks with a lower-body injury, PHNX Sports reported Monday.
He was injured early during Friday’s 2-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings.
Maccelli, 22, ranks second among NHL rookies with 22 points (three goals, 19 assists) through 30 games.
Seattle Kraken rookie forward Matty Beniers entered Monday with 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists).
A fourth-round pick by Arizona in 2019, Maccelli has 28 points (four goals, 24 assists) in 53 career contests.
Yegor Chinakhov
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov will be out approximately six weeks with a high ankle sprain, the team said Wednesday.
The injury occurred during Monday’s 2-1 loss to the visiting Dallas Stars.
Chinakhov, 21, has recorded 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 30 games this season.
He has 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 92 career games since the Blue Jackets drafted him in the first round (21st overall) in 2020.
–Field Level Media
–The Daily Goal Horn contributed to this article