Mantha did not return to Thursday's game for the Capitals after he was hit by a shot.
Mantha did not return to Thursday's game for the Capitals after he was hit by a shot.
Washington Capitals winger Anthony Mantha after he was struck in the head by a puck in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers, the team told reporters on Thursday.
He will not be travelling on the weekend road trip, where Washington will face the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders.
Mantha was in front of the net in the third period when a shot from Evgeny Kuznetsov deflected off a stick in front and hit Mantha in the left side of the face.
The 6-foot-5 winger went down in visible distress and was attended to by Jason Serbus. He was bleeding and ultimately helped off by Serbus and teammates while having a towel pressed against his cheek/ear area.
Mantha, who had two goals before his departure, did not return to the game. Following the loss, he was seen walking out of the team doctor's office under his own power, still in full gear.
In 10 games this season, Mantha has three goals, which are tied for the second-most on the team with Tom Wilson, and an assist. He has been finding chemistry of late working with Connor McMichael on the third line, which was pivotal in earning the Capitals a point on Wednesday.
Washington had a similar injury last season to a much graver extent when John Carlson was struck in the right side of the head with a 90-mile-per-hour slapshot. The puck went into his helmet, forcing it into his head and severing his temporal artery while fracturing his skull. Carlson went to the hospital and was held out of the lineup for exactly three months as he worked his way back.