NHL team Tampa Bay Lightning (Photo : Instagram/Tampa Bay Lightning)
NHL star Nikita Kucherov, 21, was forced to leave Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals after sustaining what appeared to be an upper-body injury with 14:38 remaining in the period. The Tampa Bay Lightning star's right shoulder hit the left goalpost on a scoring chance after playing three shifts.
After being sent crashing into the left goalpost by a net-front collision with Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford, 30, Kucherov immediately left the ice and went to the trainer's room. Whether or not he will return was not immediately clear, according to ESPN.
Kucherov, the Russian-born right winger, has not missed a game this season and in 25 NHL playoff games, he is second on the Tampa Bay Lightning in 10 goals and 22 points, according to NHL.
Replacing Kucherov was forward Jonathan Drouin, 20, on a line with left winger Ondrej Palat, 24, and center Tyler Johnson, 24. In all but five Stanley Cup Playoff games, Drouin has been a healthy scratch.
To make matters worse for Tampa Bay Lightning, goaltender Ben Bishop, 28, made a big mistake that resulted in a goal shortly after Kucherov left the ice. Prior to this, it was revealed that Bishop was battling an injury but the details were not disclosed.
When he came out near the left circle's top to play a puck, Bishop collided with his own defenseman Victor Hedman, 24. Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Sharp, 33, easily scored an empty-net goal, which gave his team a 1-0 lead, as the Tampa Bay Lightning's Bishop and Hedman went down.
