![Avalanche’s Kuemper leaves game after stick pokes through his mask](https://cactv.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/avalanches-kuemper-leaves-game-after-stick-pokes-through-his-mask-850x560.jpg)
Avalanche’s Kuemper leaves game after stick pokes through his mask
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A scary situation emerged in Nashville Saturday afternoon when Colorado Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper went down with a possible eye injury after an opponent’s stick poked through his face mask.
With less than a minute remaining in the first period, Predators forward Ryan Johansen was engaged in a net-from battle with Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon when the blade of his stick went through the cat’s eye of Kuemper’s mask and into the right eye area. Kuemper went down immediately, in obvious distress, with medical staff tending to him right away before quickly helping him off the ice.
Backup Pavel Francouz replaced Kuemper to close out the period and was also in net to start the second.
The team has yet to issue a statement on Kuemper’s condition.