Predators’ Stastney leaves Game 3 with upper-body injury

A hard hit potentially led one of the blueliners in Smashville to leave a contest prematurely.

During the third game of the Pacific Division Semifinal between the Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators, Predators defenseman Spencer Stastney was ruled out of the game after suffering an upper-body injury.

Stastney suffered a heavy hit minutes into the first period of the game on Friday night. When going to chase the puck in behind his own net, the 24-year-old was hit from behind into the boards by Canucks forward Dakota Joshua. Stastney was able to skate off the ice, and walk down the tunnel under his own power, but would briefly return to the contest.

Joshua was originally assessed a major penalty, but after a video review, the officials deemed the action only warranted a minor penalty for boarding.

Stastney would play a few more shifts, but was last seen around the halfway mark of the second period. The Woodbridge, Illinois native played a total of 6:36 in Game 3.

The 2018 fifth-round pick has averaged over 13 minutes of ice time in the first two games of the series, registering a plus-one rating in the Predators’ 4-1 win in Game 2 on Tuesday night.

This is Stastney’s first Stanley Cup Playoff experience. Though he has spent most of the season with the Predators’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, he has been with Nashville since late March.

In 20 regular-season games with the Preds, Stastney scored two goals and four points. He has scored six points in 28 career NHL games.