Update: Kris Letang returned to Game 2 and played quite a bit in the third period. We’ll see if anything changes, but his return to action is the best news of the night so far for Pittsburgh.
That’s because the Flyers bounced back from a 7-0 loss in Game 1 in a big way. Brian Elliott and Sean Couturier enjoyed big bounce-back nights in Game 2, powering Philly to a 5-1 win. Now the first-round series is tied 1-1 as it shifts to Philadelphia.
Stay tuned for more on that contest.
Here’s the potential Letang injury:
Sidney Crosby wasn’t happy about the hit.
Crosby on Giroux (full quote): "I thought he hit him high. I’m sure the league will look at it, but I thought it was a pretty high hit."
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) April 14, 2018
***
One big selling point for the Pittsburgh Penguins as they aim for a “threepeat” is that they’ve had a healthy Kris Letang in the lineup. That might not last through Game 2 of the first round.
In a truly strange collision, Letang collided hard with Claude Giroux. Giroux seemed to check on Letang immediately afterward, Letang exited the ice right away. It’s a bit puzzling that Letang seemed to be focused on his hand after the hit, but that’s at least how things looked after initial replays.
Video of the collision is coming soon. In the meantime, observe it in GIF form:
Scary moment in Flyers vs. Penguins as Giroux and Letang collide. pic.twitter.com/iCyhmnJtCH
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) April 14, 2018
So far, Letang has not returned to Game 2 for the Penguins as they try to fight back from a 2-0 lead for Philly.
One of the plays of the game happened in the second period, as Brian Elliott stopped Sidney Crosby on a breakaway. It’s early, but Elliott’s currently authoring a remarkable rebound.
.@KidElls1 stops Crosby on the breakaway. pic.twitter.com/hO1wdidAsK
— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) April 14, 2018
—
James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.