Vancouver Canucks defenceman Sami Salo was taken to a Chicago area hospital on a stretcher Sunday night after taking a Duncan Keith shot in the groin while killing a penalty in the final seconds of the first period.
Salo was engaged with Chicago captain Jonathan Toews at the time before he doubled-over and sprawled on the ice in pain. It took him several minutes before he was able to get helped off by teammates.
Fellow blueliner Shane O'Brien also left the game in the second period after being cut by the stick of Blackhawks' Dustin Byfuglien, who was following through on a shot attempt. O'Brien bled profusely from the forehead as he left the ice but was back on bench after getting stitched up.
Vancouver is one loss away from suffering the same fate it did last spring, when the Blackhawks ousted the Canucks in six games during the conference semifinals. The Canucks are 0-4 in the second round of the playoffs since last reaching the conference finals in 1994, when they eventually lost to the New York Rangers in a seven-game battle for the Stanley Cup.
