Maple Leafs Get Good News on Ekman-Larsson After Scary Hit

A scary moment came Thursday night when Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson took a hit from Jeremy Lauzon, which sent the Leafs blueliner’s head to the ice. His night ended early, and the Toronto Maple Leafs hadn’t offered much in terms of an injury update.

However, the Maple Leafs didn’t have to say much thanks to a positive development on Friday.

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Late in the third period, the veteran defenceman went down after a hit from Lauzon that sent him falling head-first onto the ice. No penalty was called on the play, but it appeared Lauzon followed through on the hit, pushing Ekman-Larsson up against the boards and directing him downward toward the ice. Video shows Ekman-Larsson’s head striking the ice before he left for the Leafs’ dressing room. He did not return.

After the game, coach Jim Hiller offered little. He said he thought Ekman-Larsson was okay, but he had no further update. Hiller did say he believes Lauzon should have been penalized for the hit.

As one might imagine, Leafs fans aren’t happy with the officiating, with some claiming that they did everything they could to let Vegas back into the game. The good news is that early indications are that this isn’t serious. Is he available for the Leafs’ next game? That much isn’t clear.

Maple Leafs Get Good News

Ekman-Larsson was on the ice Friday during practice. That’s great news for Toronto, who were hoping the defenseman have avoided a potentially ugly outcome.

Thursday was a rough day for injuries across the NHL. It’s becoming more and more of a storyline as the season isn’t even five games old for most teams. For the Leafs, while Ekman-Larsson is a bottom-pair defender, it’s still a loss if he’s going to miss any time.

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