WATCH: Flyers' Scott Laughton leaves ice on stretcher after scary collision
Flyers forward Scott Laughton left Game 4 on a stretcher after he hit the boards hard following a hit from Capitals defenseman John Carlson.
By
Chris Peters
•
2 min read
A previously buzzing Wells Fargo Center fell silent in the first period when Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton collided hard with the end boards in the Washington Capitals' zone. The silence continued as Laughton struggled to move on the ice and as the backboard and stretcher came onto the ice.
It was a bit of a freak play as Laughton tried to get around Capitals defenseman John Carlson. The two fought for body position as the puck skidded away from Laughton. Carlson gave him a shove, Laughton lost his balance and went spinning into a violent collision with the bottom of the boards.
UPDATE: The Flyers announced that Laughton will remain in the hospital overnight, but tests were negative:
Injury Update: Forward Scott Laughton will be staying overnight at Jefferson Hospital for precautionary reasons. All tests are negative.
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 21, 2016
Carlson made the play he was supposed to make in getting a body on Laughton just after he released the puck, but the distance from the boards and Laughton's body position combined for a disastrous result.
Laughton remained on the ice, face-first and appeared to have some limited movement in his limbs. Laughton was alert and speaking with the athletic trainer, who kept the young forward stabilized before more medical personnel could help move him.
The medical staff, which appeared to include a series of trainers, doctors and paramedics on scene, got Laughton onto a backboard and his neck in a brace. He was slowly wheeled off the ice and down the tunnel.
The Flyers shared an early update on Laughton's status:
Scott Laughton has been transported to Jefferson Hospital for precautionary reasons. We'll give an update as soon as possible.
— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) April 21, 2016
Here's one more look at the hit:
scary looking possible neck injury pic.twitter.com/F4Ox0BSLgz
— Stephanie (@myregularface) April 20, 2016
This is a tough play to gauge as it does not appear Carlson committed any sort of infraction that led to the injury. It will probably still be reviewed closely, given the nature of the end result. This looks more like a freak accident.
It has been a physical series with a number of hits that have resulted in significant injuries. Sean Couturier of the Flyers was injured and ruled out for the remainder of the series after being checked into the boards by Alex Ovechkin. Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik is out for Game 4 and probably longer after sustaining an apparent head injury following a hit by Flyers forward Ryan White. Like this hit, neither of those collisions resulted in penalties.
