Bruins forward David Backes rushed off the ice clutching his bleeding right leg following a frightening collision Saturday against the Lightning.
Yanni Gourde’s skate blade appeared to cut Backes near his knee or thigh as the two tumbled into the Tampa night at full speed toward the end of the first period. Backes reacted immediately, pulling back the unprotected area between his breezer and shin pad to reveal blood. He then rose to his feet under his own power and limped to the Bruins locker room, where he remained to start the second period.
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Here’s the full David Backes sequence, def. seems to have been caught by a skate blade in an unprotected area. #nhlbruins pic.twitter.com/INa14u2YhZ
— Colin Beswick (@CBeswick) March 17, 2018
Teammate Torey Krug said there was "a lot of blood" and described the scene as "scary" during an intermission interview.
Krug on 98.5 radio re: Backes laceration: "Scary man. Any time you see a cut like and a lot of blood--it's a scary thing."
— Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) March 18, 2018
Backes, 33, has endured a trying season filled with injury, missing the entire month of November after having surgery for diverticulitis, a painful intestinal disorder. He has 27 points in 50 games for Boston, which is chasing Tampa for first place in the Atlantic Division.
UPDATE: The Bruins announced that Backes, " ... suffered a laceration above his right knee requiring several stitches." He will not return to the game on Saturday.
After the game, head coach Bruce Cassidy said that no structural damage was done to Backes' leg as a result of the laceration, and he estimated the cut required 18 stitches, according to The Boston Globe. Backes was also seen walking to exit the Bruins locker room after the game.
