PITTSBURGH -- Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn was struck in the face with a shot by Pittsburgh's Hal Gill early in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals Sunday night.
Gill took a shot from the left point that apparently deflected off Evgeni Malkin's stick and struck Coburn near the left eye less than two minutes into the first period. Coburn dropped to the ice, bleeding, but soon got up without assistance and went to the dressing room with a towel held to his face. He did not return to the game, which was delayed about a minute to wipe the blood from the ice.
"He got a really bad gash in his forehead across his eye," said coach John Stevens after the Flyers' 4-2 loss. "It's pretty swollen and we'll have to reevaluate him when we get home."
Coburn told the Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday that it was a "possibility" he would play in Game 3 on Tuesday.
"Right now, the swelling needs to go down more before he can play," general manager Paul Holmgren told the Inquirer. "He can breathe, but the swelling is bad."
If Coburn returns, the Flyers are considering making him wear a full-facial shield, the Inquirer reported.
"It's pretty bad when you see him," Flyers left winger Scott Hartnell told the Inquirer. "He is cut up pretty bad. Hopefully, he can come back this next game."
The Flyers are playing the series without their top defenseman, Kimmo Timonen, who has a blood clot on his left ankle that developed in Game 4 of the second round against Montreal.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
