Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky left Thursday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens during the first period with an apparent lower-body injury.
Bobrovsky slid from post to post while attempting to make a stretch save and went off the ice at the next whistle just over two minutes into the contest.
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Backup netminder Alex Lyon entered the game in relief.
Panthers forward Eric Staal also left the contest, sustaining an upper-body after taking a hit from Canadiens’ defenceman Mike Matheson. The 38-year-old will not return to the game.
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Bobrovsky has been a workhorse for the Panthers with Spencer Knight (undisclosed) on injured reserve. The 34-year-old was making his third start in four nights and has played in 18 of the last 22 games for the club.
A two-time Vezina Trophy winner, Bobrovsky has a 12-13-2 record, 3.25 goals-against average and .897 save percentage in 29 games this season entering Thursday’s matchup.
Lyon is making his first NHL appearance this season after he was called up from AHL Charlotte last week. The 30-year-old Lyon has a 9-8-1 record, 2.55 GAA and .909 save percentage with the Checkers. He has appeared in 24 NHL games with the Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes over five seasons.
Florida (21-20-5, 47 points) is fourth in the Atlantic Division and four points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second and final wild card berth.
