Trocheck’s status uncertain after leg injury vs. Senators

Hockey was almost secondary to the Panthers and Senators on Monday night.

The teams dealt with two separate delays that left a number of players shaken. The teams were sent to their dressing rooms with 3:37 remaining in the first period as first responders dealt with a medical emergency in the stands as a fan required CPR.

The time remaining in the period was played at the start of the second, but another delay ensued when Vincent Trochek twisted his right leg awkwardly and required a stretcher to be taken off the ice.

The Panthers did not give an update on Trocheck’s injury after the game or on Tuesday.

“This was one of the weirder games I’ve been involved in, it was very tough,” Senators coach Guy Boucher said after the game. “We all knew they were trying to revive the gentleman, so nobody was thinking hockey there. Our prayers are definitely with the patient and the family.”

Mike Hoffman scored and extended his point streak to 16 games in his return to the Senators as the Panthers topped them 7-5.

Troy Brouwer, Aleksander Barkov, Jared McCann, Evgenii Dadonov, Micheal Haley and Frank Vatrano also scored for Florida. Hoffman, who has nine goals and 10 assists in the streak, admitted the goal was special.

“That was a big goal,” Hoffman said. “That I was able to do it made it that much more special to put the nail in the coffin. I was excited that I scored.”

Juho Lammikko picked up four assists. James Reimer stopped 33 shots and the Panthers beat the Senators for the second time in eight days.

It was a strange many ways.

The first period was cut short due to the medical emergency in the stands, and a second delay ensued when Trochek suffered his lower body injury.

Trailing, 6-3, the Senators made things interesting as Zack Smith and Brady Tkachuk scored and cut the deficit to a single goal at the halfway mark of the third. The Senators had two power-play opportunities, but were unable to capitalize.

“It wasn’t pretty, but at the end it was a gutsy win and points we needed,” said Haley.

Smith admitted it was difficult to get back into the game with the two medical emergencies.

“We tried our best, both teams, to put both incidents behind us and play a hockey game,” Smith said. “Those are two things you never want to see.” game in