One of Ottawa's hottest scorers left the game in Tampa Bay on Tuesday night with an upper-body injury.
The Ottawa Senators' center-ice depth was already being tested with the loss of Josh Norris, something that has unfortunately become an annual occurrence. The club says Norris will be out for a couple of weeks with a mid-body injury.
Now, the club is holding its breath after Shane Pinto was injured during Tuesday night's game in Tampa Bay. The team announced he would not return to the game.
Pinto appeared to hurt his left side—most likely a shoulder, oblique, or lat injury—as he went into the end boards on a forecheck. Lightning defenseman Nick Perbix followed him in and squeezed him out along the boards while Pinto was trying to make a play on the puck.
Perbix played it about as respectfully as possible in the situation. Had Pinto been able to tuck in his elbow at his side, it's likely nothing would have come of it. But because Pinto was attempting a backhand centering pass, his left elbow was extended, leaving the back of his shoulder exposed in an awkward position during the hit, such as it was.
So, it's unlikely to be the standard shoulder injury. We're betting this one is more of a problem with the back of the shoulder, oblique, or lat muscle.
If there's any silver lining, Pinto was able to test things out, moving his left arm up and down as he made his way down the tunnel. It’s also not a repeat of the 2021 shoulder injury that cost him all but five games that season. That was a right shoulder injury.
Pinto got off to a slow start this season, but lately he's been one of the team's best players, recording 12 points in his last 13 games. One thing is certain, with the Senators fighting for a playoff spot, the timing couldn’t be worse.
With the Senators fighting hard to maintain a playoff spot, and make a charge at the division leaders, they'll now be holding their breath that this injury isn't serious.
If it is, the timing couldn’t possibly be worse.
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