Ottawa Senators: Erik Brannstrom gets lucky with injury
Ottawa Senators fans held their breaths when Erik Brannstrom fell to the ice clutching his face after being hit by a skate in the dying seconds of the season opener.
Arguably the best young prospect in the Ottawa Senators system, Erik Brannstrom survived what could have been a horrific injury after showing his competitiveness and compete level against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
With around five seconds left in the season opener against the Leafs, Auston Matthews had a chance to tap in an empty-net goal that would have secured his hat trick.
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Brannstrom, however, had other ideas and was determined to keep the American centre from adding to the misery of the Senators – effectively knocking him off balance to prevent the easy goal.
Matthews fell forward onto the ice and his left leg lifted up into the air, connecting with Brannstrom’s face and seeing the talented Swedish blueliner drop to the ice also.
The extent of the injury wasn’t known at the time, but it looked as if it could have been serious and fear began to spread throughout the organisation and fanbase.
Fortunately, after posting a picture of his face, Brannstrom only required stitches (eight in total) and isn’t likely to miss any time despite Matthews’ skate coming extremely close to his eye.
The near-miss and subsequent stitches will likely see the young Swede don a full cage in order to protect him and allow the cuts to heal without concerns of a wayward puck, or another skate, causing even more damage.
Brannstrom is extremely lucky to walk away with such a minor injury in the grand scheme of things. Had the skate connected just a few centimetres to Brannstrom’s left, it could have hit his eye and likely ended his career in an instant.
His determination to make plays and keep his team fighting right down to the final whistle will have undoubtedly impressed his teammates, coaches and fans but he may need to take a more measured approach in situations such as that in the future, through fear of an even more serious injury.
Next. Sens fall flat in Toronto. dark
What do you think Sens fans? What were your thoughts when you saw what happened to Brannstrom? Was it worth it considering the time left in the game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!