The hockey injury heard 'round the world will have a longer term impact for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Defenseman Zach Werenski is out for the rest of the playoffs, head coach John Tortorella said Monday, with a cracked bone in his face suffered when he was hit by a puck off the stick of Phil Kessel in Game 3.
"Just an update on Zach, I know you're going to ask," Tortorella said at the start of his meeting with the media. "He's out. He's done for the year. Cracked cheekbone, I don't have the exact science of it, so he's out."
Werenski, who Tortorella called the team's best player after Sunday's game, has shined as a 19-year-old and scored his first playoff goal on the power play in the first period of Game 3.
In the second period, a shot by Kessel rode up Werenski's stick and hit him in the right cheekbone, sending Werenski to the ice with blood pouring from a cut. He had to leave the game but returned for the third before being ruled out for overtime because the swelling made it impossible for him to see.
After the game, he tweeted a picture of his face, which included quite a shiner as well as stitches to close the cut
Playoff hockey... pic.twitter.com/4GNoLYVECu
— Zach Werenski (@ZachWerenski) April 17, 2017
Returning to the game clearly earned Werenski the admiration of his teammates and head coach, who said Werenski has "balls as big as the building."
Today, Tortorella elaborated.
"It sucks for him," the head coach said. "I just met with him in the office today. That's the first thing that came out of his mouth is he's upset that he can't play. I'm joking with him, trying to take the pressure off of him during a timeout. I think it was before the power play, I forget exactly, and I said, 'Can you see?' He says, 'I can see better if I can take this mask off.' I said, 'I don't think you can do that.'
"I've said it all along as we get more questions about the guy and what type of pro he is, he is on a fast track to be one of the mainstays in this league."
Added forward Cam Atkinson, "He’s an absolute warrior. The fact that he came back out (shows) the type of person he is and (the type) of player."
Just 19, the University of Michigan product had 11 goals and 36 assists this year during 78 regular season games and is a contender for the Calder Trophy given to the NHL's rookie of the year.
It is a big blow to Columbus, which will now have to turn to either veteran Kyle Quincey or rookie Markus Nutivaara in Tuesday's Game 4 against Pittsburgh. Neither has played in the first three games, with Tortorella admitting he worried about Quincey's lack of foot speed against the Penguins and Nutivaara having never suited up for a playoff game.
Quincey, 31, has played in 54 career playoff games and had two goals, a helper, a plus-minus of 0 and an even strength CF% of 44.7 percent in 20 games with the Jackets after coming over at the deadline. Nutivaara, a 22-year-old Finn, debuted this season and played 66 games with two goals, five assists, and a CF% of 48.4 percent.
