DENVER (AP) 鈥 Winnipeg forward Vladislav Namestnikov suffered a fractured cheekbone when a puck hit him on the left side of his face in Game 4 against Colorado, the team said Monday.
Jets coach Rick Bowness said that Namestnikov stayed overnight in Denver and was returning to Winnipeg on Monday. Bowness added there was no orbital damage to Namestnikov's eye. His availability for Game 5 on Tuesday was uncertain.
鈥淚 sent him a text last night and he answered this morning and said he鈥檚 feeling better,鈥 said Bowness, whose team lost and trails the Avalanche 3-1 in the first-round series. 鈥淚t could have been a lot worse.鈥
Bowness wasn鈥檛 ruling out Namestnikov possibly wearing a helmet with a protective cage.
鈥淟isten, nothing would surprise me with Vladdy,鈥 Bowness said. 鈥淎gain, he鈥檚 a tough kid. That鈥檚 why we keep picking him up. He does a lot of good things. He鈥檚 a great teammate. His versatility helps, but it鈥檚 just toughness, mental toughness. I鈥檒l never rule anything out.鈥
Namestnikov of a shot from teammate Nate Schmidt when the puck hit a stick and struck him. Namestnikov stayed down on the ice as trainers rushed out. He skated off with help and exited through the Avalanche bench in the third period. The 31-year-old Namestnikov had a towel pressed to his face.
鈥淚t鈥檚 scary,鈥 Winnipeg teammate Mark Scheifele said. 鈥淵ou never want to see that much blood, no matter what, no matter who it is. Especially a guy on our squad. That sucks. All you can do is hope and pray that he鈥檚 OK. That鈥檚 a scary one. Just got to pray for him.鈥
Also Sunday, Nashville captain Roman Josi and Vancouver defenseman Tyler Myers each took pucks to the face in the first period of Game 4 of their first-round series.
Josi was struck near his right ear and skated only 4:53 of the first period. Nashville center Tommy Novak's shot at the right circle hit Myers near his nose with 1:35 left. Myers dropped to the ice, and a trainer rushed out to put a towel to his face before going with him to the bench. Both players returned early in the second period.
For the Jets, it was the second scary situation against the Avalanche.
In Friday's game, Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon that required stitches. Dillon was apparently cut by a skate blade during a scrum after the final horn. He skated toward the locker room holding his bleeding hand.
Dillon and is considered day-to-day.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to put him in harm鈥檚 way, let鈥檚 put it that way,鈥 Bowness said of Dillon's possible availability for Game 5. 鈥淗e鈥檇 play with two broken hands if he could, if we let him. We鈥檒l make the right decision based on what鈥檚 best for him. We鈥檙e not going put him out there unless we鈥檙e 100% sure there can be no more damage done.鈥
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