The Stanley Cup Playoffs have begun and many teams are facing injuries to key players. This week, I have put together an injury report that provides both injury updates and details regarding new injuries throughout the league. Many of these injuries have the potential to manifest themselves in playoff predicaments for teams, which could impact the end result of this year's postseason.

Patrice Bergeron – The captain is out for Game 2. According to Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, the absence is due to injury, not illness.

Gabriel Landeskog – The Colorado captain was ruled out for the playoffs on April 13th. He did not play at all this season because of a knee injury. Hopefully he will be able to suit up next season!

Andrew Cogliano – The former Michigan Wolverine once played 830 consecutive NHL games. He was a game-time decision for game one against Seattle and ultimately was not part of the lineup.

Joe Pavelski – The ageless wonder, suffered an apparent concussion after being hit by Matt Dumba. Pavelski would be a huge loss for the Stars, both on and off the ice. The 38-year-old, who recently tallied his 1000th point, had 77 points in 82 games this season.

Ryan Murray – The former second overall pick, has been out with a back injury for a few months. He recently participated in a conditioning stint in the American Hockey League and will likely be a black ace for the team's playoff run. 

Sam Bennett – Coach Paul Maurice is optimistic that Bennett will return soon. The second-line center has been dealing with a groin injury for the past month or so. He would be a big boost for a Panthers team that needs all the help that they can get. 

Gabriel Vilardi – The big center will be ready to play in game two of Los Angeles's opening playoff series against Edmonton. He has been out since March 26th.

Kevin Fiala – According to Helene Elliott, Fiala did not practice on the eve of Los Angeles's second game against the Edmonton Oilers. Fiala had 72 points in 69 games this season.

Joel Eriksson Ek – The Wild's most complete pivot, took warm-ups before game one against Dallas. This seems to suggest that he is very close to returning to game action.

John Klingberg – The offensive blueliner was injured at practice on April 15th and didn't play in game one against the Stars.  The Swedish sensation had nine points in 17 games with the Wild this season.

Andre Burakovsky – The star winger is expected to miss six weeks recovering from surgery. He likely won't be ready to play until the third round of the playoffs. He was the team's leading scorer at the time of his injury.

Tanner Jeannot – The gritty winger is practicing with the team and could return for game two of the Lightning's first round series against the Maple Leafs. He is dealing with a leg injury, which has sidelined him since April 6^th. He had 18 points this season.

Victor Hedman – The greatest all-around Swedish defenseman of this generation, Hedman was injured in game one against the Maple Leafs. It is unclear what happened to Hedman, but he left the game and did not return.

Erik Cernak – The big Slovakian did not return to the opening game of the Lightning's series against the Toronto Maple Leafs after being hit by Michael Bunting. Bunting received a match-penalty for checking to the head. Cernak's status is uncertain.

Michael Eyssimont – The Tampa Bay Lightning forward was dispatched from the game by a Jake McCabe hit. it appeared to be a head injury for Eyssimont.

Matt Murray – The two-time Stanley Cup champion is still dealing with a concussion. He is skating, which is a good sign. He is listed day-to-day, but situations related to concussions are usually pretty fluid.

Adin Hill – The goaltender is now healthy, but with Laurent Brossoit having started game one, and Jonathan Quick's experience on the bench, I can't see Hill getting into the net again this year.

Cole Perfetti – The skilled youngster could potentially return to the lineup as early as April 27th. It seems extremely likely that he will be available for the second round, if the Jets can get past the Vegas Golden Knights.

Nikolaj Ehlers – The greatest Danish hockey player in the history of the game was a game-time decision for the Jets going into game one against the Vegas Golden Knights. Although he didn't play in game one, I anticipate that he will be in the lineup moving forward.

Hope that you found this summary to be informative. Please contact me via LinkedIn if you have any questions or comments.

For those who aren’t receiving your fill of hockey, I encourage you to follow the Under-18 World Hockey Championships. The tournament begins on April 20^th.