Detroit’s Helm has fleeting return

The Detroit Red Wings lost forward Darren Helm minutes after welcoming him back.

Helm suffered a cut on his right arm in the first period of Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to Nashville at Bridgestone Arena, sending him to the hospital for surgery.

“He had his forearm cut,” coach Mike Babcock said. “We don’t know, that’s why he’s at the hospital. We don’t know to what extent, or how severe, if any tendons or anything like that are cut. I don’t know that. But it was pretty severe. I mean, as soon as it happened, he skated straight to the bench, and we were on a penalty kill. He’d never do that. And then they took him from the game right away.

“It’s a tough blow, but that’s just the way things go.” Helm was cut by Alexander Radulov’s skate. Losing Helm for the series — and almost certainly for the duration of the playoffs — is a blow to the Wings’ third line, by domino effect, their fourth line, and to the penalty kill.

The Wings were also counting on Helm to be a big hitter, especially against Shea Weber and Ryan Suter, helping to wear them down during the series.

Helm had come back to play in Game 1 after being out since March 17, when he suffered a sprained knee.