Jeff Skinner just came back from missing time with a concussion. You can imagine the horror Hurricanes fans felt last night then when Skinner was laid out courtesy of a monster hit by Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik.
Orpik was given a minor penalty for interference on the play, but that seemed to be more of a reactionary thing since Skinner was down and out. Skinner did go to the quiet room and returned the game, however, and even participated in the shootout (which Carolina lost).
After the game, Skinner explained what happened on the play to Chip Alexander of the News & Observer.
“I saw him coming,” Skinner said. “I thought I could chip it in and get by him. Then, when I couldn’t, I tried to get my hands up to protect myself as quick as possible.”
Orpik told Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the referee apologized to him for the penalty since he was wrong about the call. That said, the next time Skinner goes through center ice with his head down, he might not end up as fortunate as he turned out to be.