Well, thats not exactly the start the Florida Panthers had in mind.
Panthers Vs. Devils, Game 7: Florida Gives Up Early Goal, Loses John Madden After Collision
Just 1:29 into the first period, Jose Theodore was screened and a shot deflected through traffic and back behind the Florida netminder. After a brief discussion, the officials ruled that the goal was not kicked in, and credit was awarded to Adam Henrique, giving the New Jersey Devils a 1-0 lead.
Then, just under a minute later, former Devil John Madden collided with current teammate Tomas Kopecky at center ice. It looked as though the players' heads collided at full speed, and Madden certainly got the worst of it. Pieces of his helmet went flying and Madden fell immediately to ice.
The play was allowed to continue for several seconds until the officials noticed that Madden was bleeding and having trouble making his way to the bench. He attempted to crawl back, leaving a trail of blood in his wake, and as of the 5:00 mark of the period he has yet to return. Madden is an important center for Kevin Dineen’s club. It’s about the worst possible start to Game 7 that Florida could have imagined.
We have full coverage of Game 7 between the Panthers and Devils in our StoryStream. For more on the Devils, check in with In Lou We Trust, and for more on the Panthers, check in with Litter Box Cats.
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