Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson managed to not only avoid a serious injury, but also return to eventually score the overtime game-winner against the Maple Leafs on Sunday evening.
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson is a player on the rise.
Not only did he sacrifice the body with a key shot block on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews during Sunday evening's game that appeared to result in a serious injury, but he eventually managed to return to the game and eventually score the game-winner in overtime.
Edvinsson put his offensive skill on display, intercepting what was a clearing attempt by goaltender Dennis Hildeby at the blue line, skating around a Leafs forward and then dangling past Hildeby and depositing a backhand shot into the open net for the game-winner.
"I saw the opportunity, the goalie was out and the Toronto player fell," he said. "I just took the opportunity and put it in the net."
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Edvinsson's teammate Mason Appleton, who knotted the game-tying goal in the third period not even 30 seconds after Toronto had snagged a 2-1 lead, discussed the importance of Edvinsson on the blue line and how great it was to see him come back after he was badly hobbled from the shot block.
“He rose from the dead, came back and scored an unbelievable goal," Appleton said of Edvinsson. "Real solid game. I thought he defended against the top guys very well. On the PK there, that was a gutsy effort.”
Edvinsson needed assistance to get off the ice and immediately went to the dressing room from the team training staff, eventually emerging to play a vital role in the victory.
"You saw that after he was down for the count," head coach Todd McLellan said. "He still got a stick on it, but he got it in a spot where everything kind of went numb and he needed a little bit of time to get some feeling back in that leg. And when it came back, he was good to go. Played a hell of a game.”
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