Jordan Staal’s night in Philadelphia never got off the ground.
The Carolina Hurricanes captain was scratched at the last minute for Sunday night’s game against the Flyers because of a lower-body injury, leaving his status up in the air heading into the next stretch of the schedule. After the game, coach Rod Brind'Amour said there was "not much" to offer in the way of an update.
"It just kind of came up last minute, but hopefully it's nothing serious and won't keep him out too long," Brind'Amour said.
Staal had played 14:12 the night before against the Chicago Blackhawks and stayed in that game until the finish. But there was already a small warning sign on Thursday, Oct. 8, when he took only one shift in the final 12 minutes after blocking a shot in the third period.
At the time, Brind'Amour said the captain was fine, though any discomfort that developed later is only speculation.
Carolina has been dealing with a condensed run of games, and Brind'Amour pointed to the workload when discussing the situation.
"We've had a lot of hockey here in a short amount of time and had a couple guys out that are big parts, but the other guys are just stepping up," Brind'Amour said.
The Hurricanes are set to skate Tuesday before facing the Washington Capitals at Lenovo Center, which should give the club a clearer read on Staal’s availability.
If he is forced to miss more time, Carolina will feel it. The veteran center matters everywhere: at 5v5, on the penalty kill and even on the power play. That kind of role is hard to replace, and Brind'Amour acknowledged as much.
"You can get by with big guys being out for a little while, but if it's any length of time, it's tough on your group," Brind'Amour said.
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Mark Jankowski stepped into Staals third-line center spot, while Jesperi Kotkaniemi slid down the middle behind him. For a Carolina team that leans on its center group to drive both pace and defensive structure, the shuffle is the kind of wrinkle that can ripple through the rest of the evening, even if it starts with one unexpected absence. [Read more 🡒]
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The Flyers have already been forced to lean on youth because injuries and uneven play have thinned out their blue line, and Oliver Bonks arrival from the AHL was supposed to help stabilize things. Instead, the rookie found himself in the middle of a difficult night as the Hurricanes kept pressing, leaving Philadelphia still searching for answers and still waiting for someone on defense to provide them. [Read more 🡒]