The New Jersey Devils' injury woes are reaching alarming new heights.
Defenseman Brenden Dillon and forward Cody Glass exited during the second and third periods, respectively, in Game 1 of the first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, a 4-1 loss for New Jersey. The Devils were also briefly without defenseman Luke Hughes, who left in the third period but was able to return.
New Jersey entered the postseason already undermanned. Top forward Jack Hughes, Luke's brother, had season-ending shoulder surgery in March, and defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler is also not expected to be available in the first round.
Coach Sheldon Keefe remained optimistic, though, about one of the team's latest injured bodies.
"[Dillon] was eager to get back out there," Keefe said by way of an update. Doctors ultimately held Dillon out for "precautionary reasons."
The veteran blueliner was taken to the ice by Carolina forward William Carrier while battling in front of the Devils' net. Dillon remained down for several minutes before being helped off by New Jersey's training staff.
It was a disastrous third-period sequence that shortened New Jersey's bench further. Hughes went flying into the Devils' net after tripping over Hurricanes' forward Andrei Svechnikov, and ran off the ice cradling his right arm. Then, Devils' goaltender Jacob Markstrom accidentally clipped Glass with his stick while appearing to aim for Svechnikov. Glass left and did not return, while Hughes finished the game.
New Jersey will have to wait and see who is available when it takes on Carolina in Game 2 on Tuesday. For now, Keefe won't let the Devils dwell on what they can't control.
"To a man, myself included," he said, "we're all going to have to be better."
