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Svechnikov in concussion protocol, unlikely for Game 4 vs. Capitals

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Capitals' Alex Ovechkin and Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour react to Ovechkin's fight with Andrei Svechnikov, who left the game after being helped off the ice.

The news on Andrei Svechnikov is that “everything checked out,” according to Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour, and he’s in concussion protocol and did not suffer any further injury. That means 19-year-old rookie forward will likely miss Thursday’s game (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN) following his Game 3 fight with Alex Ovechkin.

“From seeing him now, he looks normal and thought he feels great,” Brind’Amour said, adding they’re going to be cautious with the player. “That’s a real positive sign.”

The two sparred midway through the first period with the Capitals captain landing a blow that took Svechnikov down. The Russian rookie needed help off the ice and was later ruled out from returning during the Hurricanes’ 5-0 victory.
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“First of all I hope he’s OK,” Ovechkin said afterward. “You’re right: I’m not a big fighter ... He asked me to fight and I said, ‘Let’s go, yeah.’ I hope he’s OK. You don’t want to see a guy get hurt or something.”

During his Tuesday morning media scrum, Brind’Amour disputed Ovechkin’s claim that Svechnikov asked to go saying, “There’s two versions of that going around. I’ll just leave it at that.”

Without Svechnikov and Micheal Ferland, who left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury, the Hurricanes still dominated Game 3. They controlled possession, shot advantage, and, most importantly, the scoreboard.

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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.