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What was already shaping up to be one of the craziest games of the season for the Colorado Avalanche turned ugly last night, as goalie Craig Anderson was knocked out of the game in the final seconds of overtime after a hit by Florida Panther Keith Ballard.
Ballard is the same moron who slashed his own goalie in the head out of frustration (video below) and, as The Denver Post points out, has now taken two goalies out of action in less than a week.
Mile High Hockey points out that the game had a little bit of everything: terrible defense by the Avs (they gave up 44 shots and allowed the Panthers’ Stephen Weiss to score a hat trick), plus some inspired play from rookie Matt Duchene, who added two more goals to his torrid play of late.
But Anderson’s condition looms large as the team heads into Pittsburgh to face the Stanley Cup-champion Penguins, a team that definitely doesn’t suck. The Post reports Anderson was walking around the locker room after the game, and did leave the ice under his own power after taking the cheap shot, but it’s not at all clear whether he’ll play tonight.