Philadelphia Flyers goalie Michal Neuvirth was awake and alert and was taken to Pennsylvania Hospital on Saturday night after collapsing in his crease early in the game against the New Jersey Devils, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said.
Neuvirth was awaiting a faceoff at the far end of the ice about seven-and-a-half minutes in when he fell backward and landed on his back. Flyers athletic trainer Jim McCrossin quickly ran onto the ice to attend to the 29-year-old and was joined by three other team doctors.
Neuvirth, making his 28th appearance of the season and first since March 25, appeared to be unconscious for a brief time, but began moving his arms and legs and sat up in his crease before being placed on a stretcher and carted off the ice.
Photo: AP
Neuvirth stopped six shots before the incident and did not appear to have any unusual contact in the crease prior to his collapse. The Flyers were leading 1-0 at the time.
He was replaced in goal by Anthony Stolarz, who was called up from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League earlier in the day when starting goalie Steve Mason was ill.
Stolarz did not arrive at the Wells Fargo Center until just before the start and did not take warmups before the game.
Neuvirth’s collapse was eerily similar to the one by former Atlanta Thrashers goalie Ondrej Pavelec in a 2010 game against the Washington Capitals.
Neuvirth was the goalie for the Capitals in that game.
Stolarz stopped 26 shots after replacing Neuvirth.
Cory Schneider stopped 38 shots for the Devils, who lost their sixth straight game.
Edmonton Oilers Leon Draisaitl scored off a pass from Connor McDavid one minute 26 seconds into overtime to lift Edmonton into a tie with Anaheim Ducks atop the Pacific Division.
McDavid had a goal and two assists while and Milan Lucic also scored to help the Oilers to their fifth straight win and ninth in their last 10 games.
Cam Talbot finished with 16 saves.
Edmonton’s 44 wins are the most the team has had in a season since the Oilers won the Stanley Cup in 1987-1988.
Edmonton and Anaheim each have 97 points. With four games remaining for each club, the Oilers currently hold the tiebreaker.
Ryan Getzlaf and Patrick Eaves scored for the Ducks, who have lost two games in a row following a five-game winning streak.
John Gibson stopped 34 shots.
Winnipeg Jets Mathieu Perreault scored the go-ahead goal seven minutes and 46 seconds into the third period, lifting Winnipeg to its fourth straight win over the Ottawa Senators.
With the score tied 2-2, Perreault took a pass from Bryan Little and fired a shot past Mike Condon, who had Jets forward Patrik Laine standing in front of him with the screen, to put the Jets ahead.
With Condon pulled for an extra attacker and just over one minute left, Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck whipped out his glove to snag Kyle Turris’ blast, preserving the lead.
Nikolaj Ehlers sealed the victory with an empty-netter with 25 seconds left.
Blake Wheeler and Adam Lowry also scored for Winnipeg, which has its first four-game win streak of the season.
Mike Hoffman scored twice for the Senators, who have lost four straight and are tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs for second in the Atlantic Division.
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