Boston Bruins: Forward David Backes Injured In 4-2 Win
Boston Bruins forward David Backes had to leave the game after being struck in the head by Buffalo Sabres forward William Carrier.
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The Boston Bruins have had a tough go of it this season with injuries. It’s hampered their ability to win a few games, and its forced Claude Julien and the B’s coaching staff to get creative with their line assignments. Now it looks like the Bruins could lose one of their better forwards, veteran center David Backes.
Backes was forced to leave the game after sustaining an ugly hit by Carrier. With 5:07 left in the first period Carrier drives his right elbow into Backes’ left temple, sending the Bruins forward crashing to the ice. Backes was on the ice for a minute or so before heading off to the locker room. For a moment, Billy Carrier looks more like Matt Cooke than a member of the Sabres organization.
William Carrier injures David Backes with a hit to the head pic.twitter.com/pOFtuKj2h6
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) December 30, 2016
Carrier was assessed a minor penalty for an illegal check to the head. The Bruins weren’t able to capitalize on the ensuing power play. The Bruins once again had to battle back from a multi-goal deficit to win this one. The B’s scored four unanswered goals (two of them from forward Ryan Spooner) to give the B’s two important points in a 4-2 win.
These are the kind of hits that the NHL’s Department of Player Safety automatically review after the game. It’s very likely that Carrier will be fined. It’s possible he’ll even receive a suspension for this kind of hit. (He should expect a 2-4 game suspension if the DoPS attempts to remain consistent. Then again, it’s the DoPS.)
The Boston Bruins did not have an update on Backes after the game. If the Bruins run Backes through the proper concussion protocols, the B’s will likely be without him for the next seven days. Hopefully, the injury isn’t serious and the Bruins will have Backes back soon.