NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2013: Montreal’s Lars Eller Injured In Game 1 (Video)

A very scary scene unfolded on Thursday night in the opening game of the Montreal Canadiens vs Ottawa Senators series involving Montreal’s Lars Eller and Ottawa’s rookie defenseman Eric Gryba.

In the video below (Warning: It is graphic, please view with discretion) Eller is given a “suicide pass” from teammate Raphael Diaz to the Montreal blueline where he is then hit by Gryba.

The scariest part isn’t the hit itself, but the way Eller lands on the ice. He seems to be knocked out instantly by the collision which lead to him bouncing off the ice like a ball. No protection of his face which smacked the ice at a high velocity.

What resulted was a bloody ice surface from a clearly broken nose. Eller was removed via stretcher and taken to a Montreal area hospital where he is listed as conscious and alert. He is expected to remain in the hospital for medical supervision, this according to the team.

Gryba received a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct. He will also likely be hearing from the NHL’s dean of discipline, Brendan Shanahan, for a possible suspension. Boston’s Andrew Ference was suspended on Thursday for his hit to the head of Toronto’s Mikhail Grabovski in Wednesday’s game one between the Bruins and Maple Leafs.

That collision pales in comparison to the one on Eller so it is expected that Gryba will be suspended for the hit.

Hopefully Eller is able to return to the Habs lineup before their playoffs are over. Then again, if it’s a serious concussion issue, then shutting him down may be what’s best for his long term health. Either way, we’re hoping he can make a quick, and full, recovery.

To make matters worse, Montreal lost to Ottawa 4-2 in game one.