The Carolina Hurricanes might face the New Jersey Devils without Eric Staal, as he suffered a foot injury thanks to a Justin Faulk shot on Sunday, the Raleigh News & Observer reports.
The 30-year-old was seen on crutches after Carolina’s 3-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings, so it certainly doesn’t sound promising. Then again, hockey players tend to bounce back quickly, so we’ll see.
Either way, it hasn’t been the luckiest season for the elder Staal brother (or the hockey-playing family in general, really). He missed weeks with a lower-body injury earlier this season, watching his team suffer in the standings early on.
Don’t expect the Devils to shed a tear in sympathy for Staal’s issues, as they’re dealing with a fairly ridiculous array of ailments themselves.
Perhaps Staal should rest up today, as things get pretty messy for Carolina starting on Thursday. From Dec. 11 to Dec. 31, the Hurricanes play seven of 10 games on the road.