Injury crisis for the New Jersey Devils as Luke Hughes leaves briefly, but Brendan Dillon and Cody Glass exit in the game 1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes

The injuries are suddenly piling up for the New Jersey Devils, and at the crux of this playoff schedule, it is starting to count. During their first-round Game 1 showing against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Devils not only lost 4-1 that day but also saw three of their players encounter injury scars. Now the Devils are up against physical challenges and competitive hurdles heading to Game 2 with an early lead in the series for the Hurricanes.

Brendan Dillon and Cody Glass exit early as Luke Hughes returns after a scare

The Devils' blue line was shaken up at some point during the game when defenseman Luke Hughes briefly left the ice after a collision in the third period. Though he returned later, it was a reminder of how intense the postseason can get. The more worrying injuries were the two other crucial performers who exited the game early: defenseman Brendan Dillon and forward Cody Glass.




Dillon had left in the second period and did not return. His head coach, Sheldon Keefe, later clarified that Dillon's exit from the game was simply precautionary, explaining that the medical staff would not permit him back even though he desperately wanted to rejoin. Meanwhile, Glass ended up leaving in the third and never returned before the game concluded. An immediate update on his condition was not provided, leaving his availability for Game 2 up in the air.