Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon had to be helped off the ice after Colorado left winger Cody McLeod checked him from behind into the boards 5 minutes, 22 seconds into the first period Monday night at Xcel Energy Center.
The game was scoreless when the play occured at the Wild end of the rink. McLeod made contact with Spurgeon as the two were racing for the puck, well before they reached the boards. McLeod's hit launched Spurgeon face-first into the boards. He hit near the bottom of the glass, then crumpled to the ice. When Spurgeon was helped off the ice minutes later, he appeared to have difficulty putting weight on his left leg.
McLeod was given a 5-minute major for checking from behind and also was given a game misconduct, ending the game for him. Pierre-Marc Bouchard's goal 4:09 into the ensuing power play gave the Wild a 1-0 lead.
