When it comes to playoffs, the intensity ramps up and so do the injuries. The Carolina Hurricanes announced that top-four defenceman Brett Pesce suffered an unfortunate lower-body injury in game two against the New York Islanders and will reportedly be out at least the rest of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Brett Pesce, who suffered a non-contact injury turning up the ice in his own end during Game 2 — officially “lower body” — is likely to miss the rest of this series, per source. Timeframe beyond that still unclear, looks like a couple weeks at the least.
— Luke DeCock (@LukeDeCock) April 24, 2024
Brett Pesce Injured
In a game two thriller between the Hurricanes and Islanders, Carolina defenceman Brett Pesce was unable to participate in the late-game excitement as he left part of the way through the game. Post-game Rod Brind’Amour provided that it didn’t look good but they would wait and see after Pesce got some evaluation.
While the Hurricanes are pretty deep on defence, Pesce has been a consistent defensive defenceman on the team’s second pairing and penalty kill. Over the last few seasons, he has built strong chemistry with defensive partner Brady Skjei. He actually had a down season this year offensively with three goals and ten assists in 70 games played. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that he contributes heavily to the team’s successful shutdown defence.
Moving Forward
With Pesce on the sidelines, the Hurricanes will likely see Tony DeAngelo return to the lineup. For as good as Pesce is defensively and lacking as he has been this season offensively, DeAngelo is the complete opposite. He can provide offence from the backend as well as almost anyone in the league, but his defensive game is definitely lacking. Since the early Dmitry Orlov and Tony DeAngelo experiment didn’t work well, and Orlov has been so good with Jalen Chatfield, expect t DeAngelo to slot in beside Skjei. But this is a question for Brind’Amour.
What we do know is that losing Pesce will be a tough blow for Carolina. But overcoming injuries and depth players stepping up is usually key for any playoff team looking to go far.
Main Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
