Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle experienced a harrowing moment in Tuesday night’s game against the Calgary Flames when an inadvertent skate-to-face incident occurred with his injury video now viral
The precarious situation unfolded as Flames forward Elias Lindholm fell to the ice, and in the process, his leg elevated, resulting in an accidental contact between his skate and Guhle’s face.
Montreal Canadiens Kaiden Guhle suffers blow to face as he avoids injury in viral video
Kaiden Guhle leaves the ice after an incident with a skate blade.
It could have been much, much worse.
Let's get neckguards on everyone, asap. pic.twitter.com/BYB9dTEZiJ
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) November 15, 2023
Kaiden Guhle got VERY lucky on this play 😱
Glad he avoided serious injury 🙏 pic.twitter.com/5zoXdK64bO
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) November 15, 2023
Swiftly leaving the ice for medical attention, Kaiden Guhle was fortunate to emerge unscathed, thanks to the protective function of his helmet, which absorbed the majority of the impact from the skate blade.
Following a visit to the locker room, Guhle made a resilient return to the game later in the period, bringing relief and elation to both fans and teammates. Flames ultimately triumphed with a 2-1 victory against the Canadiens.
The incident underscored the significance of safety measures in the sport, particularly emphasizing the importance of facial protection and neck guards.
Canadiens Ranked 22nd?
The Canadiens have encountered a sluggish start to the season, posting a 7-7-2 record after 16 games and currently residing in 5th place in the Atlantic Division. Offensive struggles have been evident, with the team ranking 22nd in the league, having scored 44 goals.
Winger Cole Caufield leads the team in points with 14 (five goals, nine assists), closely followed by center Nick Suzuki with 13 points (six goals, seven assists). Defensively, the Canadiens have conceded 53 goals, ranking 25th in the NHL.
Goaltending performances from Jake Allen and Sam Montembeault have displayed inconsistency. Allen, in seven games, holds a Goals Against Average (GAA) of 3.30 and a save percentage of .911, while Montembeault, in eight games, boasts a GAA of 2.78 and a save percentage of .908.
The penalty kill sits at 19th with a 77.3% success rate, but the Canadiens lead the league in penalty minutes with 206. Under the guidance of first-year coach Martin St. Louis, the team has been striving to implement a system emphasizing speed and tempo, yet players have grappled with achieving consistency in that regard.
Overall, Montreal’s performance represents a disappointing start, considering the high expectations set for the team this season following their position near the bottom of the standings last year.