Injury Tuesday?

Injuries, as they say, are a part of the game. Players occasionally play through injuries, but the regular season is a long and brutal stretch where injuries can be made worse if they aren't treated properly. In saying that, some injuries need immediate attention while others can be lingering injuries and just need some TLC and rest. Tonight, we were witness to two injuries that will most likely require some time to heal to two different types of players.

Edmonton needs its stars to show up each and every night if they hope to have a chance for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. While the early going this season hasn't been kind to the Oilers thus far, they have shown signs of greatness. One such player who has shown his exceptional skills is Connor McDavid. And it appears those skills will be on the shelf for some time after tonight's game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

According to head coach Todd McLellan, McDavid will be out for an extended period of time, and there will be an update on his injury on Wednesday. McDavid was named as the NHL Rookie of the Month in October, but it appears his name won't be mentioned in those circles for some time. Can Edmonton survive in an exceptionally tough Western Conference without one of their best players?

The other major injury seen tonight that will require some time for recovery happened in the Dallas-Boston game. And the worst part about this injury is that it happened just three seconds into this player's first shift of the game.

Chris Kelly, centerman with the Boston Bruins, fractured his left femur on that rather innocent-looking play, and he'll be out of the Bruins' lineup for six to eight months. As the commentators state, you can see the pain on Kelly's face as he lies on the ice, and no one enjoys seeing that.

"That's really tough," Bruins forward Brad Marchand said after the game. "He's such a big part of our team. He's a huge leader in the room and on the ice and he's been playing very well this year. It's really tough any time you see a friend and a teammate go out with an injury like that. It's really tough to swallow. It's a big void to fill."

Honestly, neither play looked very dangerous, and you have to think that McDavid's injury caused along the boards is a situation that players face all the time in terms of how they hit the boards. Kelly's injury is just horrible and there seems to be nothing that could have been done to prevent that one. In both cases, the injuries will keep these two contributors out of the lineup, and both tams need their talents to make the playoffs this year.

Get well soon, Connor McDavid and Chris Kelly. Your teams need you back at 100%!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!