Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger left Philadelphia's 4-2 win over Toronto Monday night after taking a high stick to the face.
Pronger and Toronto's Mikhail Grabovski sprinted for a loose puck in the circle after a rebound off Flyers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Grabovski slapped at the puck, but his stick connected with Pronger's stick and the blade shot straight up into the defenseman's face.
The Flyers captain screamed in agony and instantly clutched his face. Hunched over, he skated straight to the bench, his hands over his eyes, and went to the dressing room with 8:02 left in the first period.
Pronger didn't return after the blow that hushed the crowd. Between periods, Danny Briere said the Flyers hoped Pronger would be OK.
Hartnell called Pronger one of the "biggest warriors" in the NHL.
Pronger may have been struck in the right eye. He does not wear a visor. The protective piece is not required in the NHL, though several players have had their careers prematurely end after blows to the face.
Sports Final's Howard Eskin tweeted that Pronger could be out a couple weeks with an eye injury.
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"He has eye injury, with some bleeding... Could be out up to 2 weeks, but should be OK," tweeted Eskin.
Grabovski was not penalized for the play because it came on a shot. He was whistled for high-sticking only 28 seconds into the game when he nailed Claude Giroux in the face on a faceoff.
"It seems like they're swinging their sticks like crazy," Hartnell said.
Pronger's injury overshadowed Jagr's first NHL goal since April 6, 2008. Jagr left to play three seasons in Russia before signing a one-year deal with the Flyers. He split defenders on a breakaway, courtesy of a sweet feed from Giroux, and flipped the puck past Jonas Gustavsson late in the first for the power-play goal.
Jagr removed his right glove and saluted the crowd and his teammates. Flyer Wayne Simmonds leapt into Jagr's arms and the rest of his teammates mobbed him as if he had scored the winning goal. Jagr has become an instant team leader and fan favorite, even as concerns over his scoring slump lingered.
Not any more.
Hartnell put the Flyers ahead 2-1 in the second on a great second effort. He shot at close range from one knee, then fell to both to pound in the rebound for his first goal of the season.
Briere had the assist for his 600th career point -- a big number for a 5-foot-10 forward once deemed too small to play in the NHL.
Hartnell added the insurance goal in the third, helping the Flyers snap a two-game losing streak. The Flyers and goalie Ilya Bryzgalov allowed nine goals over two straight home losses. Bryzgalov got a breather Monday, and Bobrovsky was solid in net stopping 24 shots.
The Flyers travel to Montreal to play the Canadiens Wednesday night.
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