Colorado Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper leaves game after getting stick in the eye
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper left their game three matchup against the Nashville Predators after an ugly incident in the first period.
With under a minute to go in the first, Kuemper unintentionally got gouged through the mask by the stick of Preds center Ryan Johansen. The latter was driving to the net battling for space when the incident happened.
Kuemper went down immediately grabbing at his eye and was forced from the game. Backup Pavel Francouz has entered the game and through two periods turned aside 10 of the 12 shots he’s faced.
According to The Athletic’s Peter Baugh, the injury isn’t believed to be serious and Kuemper didn’t suffer a concussion.
Darcy Kuemper is out for the game, per a source. The good news for the #Avs: This isn’t expected to be a long-term injury and there’s no concussion.
— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) May 7, 2022
An image captured by The Tennessean showed Johansen’s stick going into Kuemper’s mask.
This image from @tennessean photographer @Andrew_Nelles shows why Avalanche goalie Darcy Kuemper left the ice following an inadvertent stick through his mask from #Preds Ryan Johansen https://t.co/s2xwvRZHAc pic.twitter.com/pXgY9zpiRX
— Tennessean (@Tennessean) May 7, 2022
The style of mask worn by Kuemper, dubbed the “cat eye,” has been made illegal at the NCAA and Major Junior level and is only used by goaltenders 18+ everywhere else, according to Daily Faceoff’s Mike McKenna. Goaltenders are instead able to use HCC-approved cages that include horizontal and vertical bars, McKenna added.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.