The Colorado Avalanche lost another hockey game to the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night — and they may have lost Artturi Lehkonen long-term after the forward went head-first into the boards and was transported to the hospital following a 4-3 loss.
Lehkonen was on the receiving end of a heavy hit from Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak in the second period at Ball Arena. It appeared his head hit the glass, and he remained on the ice for minutes before being helped off and down the tunnel.
“Artturi Lehkonen left tonight’s game in the second period. He is alert, responsive and has full movement. He is being taken to a local hospital as a precaution for further evaluation,” the team announced in a statement during the game.
It's probably safe to assume that Lehkonen will not be suiting up when the Avalanche clash with the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night, although more details are expected to be revealed at some point on Friday.
It's a brutal blow for a Colorado team that has struggled as of late; the Avs have lost four of six to fall to 8-4, but remain in second place in the Central Division.
Kraken have Avalanche's number
The Avalanche just can't seem to find a way to beat a less talented Kraken team. Seattle shocked Colorado — and the hockey world — by defeating the then defending Stanley Cup champions in Game 7 of the Western Conference first-round in 2023.
And the success in Denver continued on Thursday night, with the 5-6-3 Kraken getting a late goal from Oliver Bjorkstrand to seal the victory. It was Bjorkstrand's second of the game, and came with just 32 seconds remaining in regulation.
“As a whole, that's the way I want our team to compete. We played hard,” Avs coach Jared Bednar admitted afterwards. “We weren't perfect, but you're never going to be. We did a nice job.”
Colorado did look to be the better team in the contest, but couldn't find a way to secure the victory against a pesky Seattle club.
The Avs will look for a better result when the Blues are in town on Saturday night, and will also hope for positive news on Artturi Lehkonen.
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