Vancouver Canucks rule out Alex Burrows for pivotal Game 4

Soon after reports from local media described right winger Alex Burrows being taken out of the Saddledome in Calgary on a stretcher and into an ambulance, the Vancouver Canucks released a statement saying that Burrows would not play tonight in a critical Game 4 against the Flames.

Burrows, who has been his usual agitating self in the series, reportedly sustained an upper body injury and was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure after practice. According to Sportsnet's Mark Spector, the right winger did not appear to be in distress.

This is obviously bad news for the Canucks on a number of levels, not the least of which is the overall health of one of their own. On a more small-scale level, Vancouver will have to dig a little deeper to even up its first-round series with the pesky Flames, who have managed to keep the more experienced Canucks off-balance so far.

Update: As reported by Renaud Lavoie, Burrows' injury is a broken rib, and Burrows is "out of danger."