Nick Bjugstad Injured After Hitting Boards Face First

Florida Panthers forward Nick Bjugstad left Friday night’s game five matchup after an awkward fall, which led to the 23-year old going head-first into the boards.

At first glance, it seemed he may have been tripped by Shane Prince of the New York Islanders. However, there was no call and a closer look shows that Bjugstad likely lost his balance and fell on his own.

Bjugstad was tended to for quite some time and could be seen bleeding from his forehead. He was eventually able to leave the ice under his own power but did not return to what was eventually a 2-1 Islanders victory in double overtime.

New York now holds a 3-2 series lead, with game six scheduled for Sunday. As I write this, the time for that contest has not been determined.

Bjugstad has two goals and four total points through four games this postseason. He tallied 15 goals and 34 points in 67 games throughout the regular season.