Kamal Ghorui
Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper had to leave Tuesday night’s game due to a crease collision with the New York Rangers. King’s head coach Jim Hiller had little to say about the situation, refusing to give much insight into the nature of the injury.Though the team celebrated the end of their four-game losing streak, as the Los Angeles Kings won the night’s matchup with the Rangers by a score of 4-3, the concern quickly shifted to Kuemper, who had just been out with a head injury and was named to the Olympic team in Canada next month.
LA Kings turn to backup Goalie after Darcy Kuemper suffered upper-body injury
The injury occurred during a two-on-one rush for the Rangers, during which forward Jonny Brodzinski made contact with Darcy Kuemper while trying to make a stop near the crease. Even though, at first appearance, this collision did not seem to be too serious, Kuemper signaled to the refs a short time later, resulting in a stoppage in play. Kuemper stayed out for a little while, skating gingerly before leaving for the locker room with just a minute left in the first period.Kuemper’s absence immediately put the depth of the Los Angeles goaltending into question. Going into the game, the Kings had the backup goaltender, Anton Forsberg, on the bench, who performed well on his first outing with the Kings, preserving the team’s advantage over the Rangers with 28 saves in the last two periods of the game.The 35-year-old Saskatchewan native has been a crucial piece of Los Angeles’ lineup since coming back on Jan. 1, playing in nine of the team’s 11 games this month. His experience and consistency have been especially valuable during a stretch marked by uneven results and tight games.Beyond the immediate implications for the Kings, Kuemper’s injury also creates some questions at the international level. Selected along with Jordan Binnington and Logan Thompson on Canada’s roster, Kuemper is expected to feature quite prominently for his country if healthy. Any kind of extended absence will have consequences for both Los Angeles’ plans and those of Canada.For now, the Kings will just enjoy their overtime victory, hoping that the injury in the goal frame, or rather, in the person of Darcy Kuemper, turns out to be minor, as the health of this player may end up being an important part of their success in the current NHL season.
