LAS VEGAS - The Carolina Hurricanes are expecting to be without defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere for at least their next two games.
After "tweaking something" on Saturday in Los Angeles, Rod Brind'Amour initially thought the injury wasn't a serious one, but on Tuesday, he revealed that the power play quarterback was sent back to Raleigh.
"I was hoping that we'd maybe see him in the next game, because I didn't think it was going to be that bad," Brind'Amour said on FanDuel Sports Network South, pre-game. "Hopefully, we'll give him a couple of days, and we'll see him in that not too distant future."
Prior to going down with his injury, Gostisbehere was co-leading the NHL in scoring by a defenseman, locked at seven points in five games with Colorado Avalanche superstar Cale Makar.
In his absence, Charles Alexis Legault made his NHL debut. Skating 12:30 against the Vegas Golden Knights, the trickle-down effect also meant that K'Andre Miller moved up to the team's first man-advantage unit, and Mike Reilly was given "PP2" reps.
PP1: Aho, Blake, Ehlers, and Jarvis with Miller
PP2: Hall, Stankoven, and Svechnikov with Reilly and Walker
At five-on-five, Jalen Chatfield took Gostisbehere's spot alongside Alexander Nikishin, while Legault and Reilly were paired up.
Miller - Walker
Nikishin - Chatfield
Legault - Reilly
Carolina has a pair of games remaining on their current six-game road trip: Thursday in Denver and Saturday in Dallas. Their return to home ice comes on Tuesday, Oct. 28, against the Vegas Golden Knights for Hispanic Heritage Night.
