The Detroit Red Wings sound like they may be facing another stretch without Tyler Bertuzzi.
He was hit in the left hand by a Ben Chiarot point shot during Wednesday’s third period against the Buffalo Sabres at Little Caesars Arena, slamming his stick on the boards as he went down the tunnel to the locker room. Bertuzzi returned to the bench, but didn’t play.
“I wanted to use him in overtime but he couldn’t go,” coach Derek Lalonde said.
The Wings lost, 5-4, in a shootout.
Bertuzzi just returned Nov. 15 after missing a month recovering from a broken right hand suffered in the second game of the season. He’s had some rust to get rid off, but even so Bertuzzi brings grit and a nose for being around the net. The Wings already are without forwards Filip Zadina (lower body) and Jakub Vrana (players assistance program) and Robby Fabbri (recovering from knee surgery), as well as Elmer Söderblom, who has missed three weeks with an undisclosed injury.
The Wings had an off day scheduled for Thursday, and next play Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights.
They did escape one potentially devastating injury Wednesday. Defenseman Moritz Seider left during the second period after appearing to be in great pain when he was hit in the leg by a puck, but he returned the same period and finished the game.
“He left and I didn’t expect to have him back and then I got word he was back, so that was a positive,” Lalonde said.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings’ Tyler Bertuzzi appears to injure hand during game
