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Pittsburgh Penguins' conference rivals hit with unexpected injury after off-ice barbecue accident
The Florida Panthers were hit with an unexpected injury to one of their players, as Eetu Luostarinen got burned in a barbecue accident and will miss some time.
Florida Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen is out week-to-week after suffering burns in a barbecuing accident, head coach Paul Maurice confirmed Wednesday.
What Eetu Luostarinen's return will be based on
The team's reporter, Jameson Olive, added that Luostarinen did not have to stay overnight at the hospital, and his timeline for return will be based on how he feels once he's able to skate fully in gear.
Luostarinen was set to miss the game against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday because of a lower-body injury in any case.
In 18 games this season, the 27-year-old has three goals and seven assists for 10 points after a strong playoff showing in which he notched five goals and 19 points in 23 games as the Panthers repeated as Stanley Cup champions.
Maurice also said forward Cole Schwindt will be out an estimated two to three months with a broken arm that needs surgery. The 24-year-old Schwindt left Monday's game against Vancouver and has two goals in 10 games this season.
Why the Florida Panthers are not off to a blazing hot start
The Panthers sit sixth in the Atlantic Division with 21 points through 19 games, now 10-8-1. Of course, they have dealt with major injury issues early in the season; their stars Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk are yet to make their season debuts.
Florida returns to action Thursday at home against the New Jersey Devils.
The Panthers will have to rely on depth players to step up with numerous key forwards on the sidelines. The return of Luostarinen will be closely watched, but it's the team's resilience through injuries that should shape their early-season outlook.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 19 | 34 ANSWERS Pittsburgh Penguins' conference rivals hit with unexpected injury after off-ice barbecue accident Is this one of the most unexpected off-ice hockey injuries you've ever heard? | ||
| Yes | 24 | 70.6 % |
| No | 10 | 29.4 % |
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