Alexander Burmistrov leaves game on stretcher

BOSTON-- Arizona Coyotes forward Alexander Burmistrov left the ice on a stretcher after being hit by Boston Bruins defenseman Colin Miller at TD Garden on Tuesday.
Burmistrov was skating out of his zone when Miller hit Burmistrov with 16:11 left in the second period of a 4-1 loss. Miller was given a five-minute charging penalty and a game misconduct.
"He was in a vulnerable position, but it's a hockey hit," Arizona coach Dave Tippett said. "Burmistrov's head is down. It's a hard hit. It's a hit that happens in hockey the odd time. You never like to see anybody get hurt, but I don't think it was an intentional hit to hurt somebody. It was a guy stepping up on a guy that was in a vulnerable position. Kind of caught him with his side. Sounds like he's going to be all right."

Burmistrov, who gave a thumbs-up sign as he left the ice, was taken to a hospital. The Coyotes said he was treated and released. Arizona next plays at the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.
"I was just trying to step up in the neutral zone and make a play on him," Miller said. "Never like to see that, obviously, with him going off in the stretcher, but hopefully he's feeling better."
Miller said he reached out to Burmistrov via text message and got a response.
"I just said, 'Hope you're feeling better,' and stuff like that," Miller said. "He said he understands, it's a hockey play. Hopefully he's feeling better. It sounds like he's doing all right."
The hit came after a pass from Jakob Chychrun from behind Burmistrov in the defensive zone in the right circle.
"Whenever someone gets hit like that on your team, you react accordingly," said Chychrun, who was penalized for roughing Miller after the hit. "It's tough to see, especially since I'm the one who passed him the puck. It's tough."
Burmistrov, 25, has one goal and eight assists in 19 games with the Coyotes after being claimed off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets on Jan. 2. He had two assists in 23 games with Winnipeg.