Dallas Stars fans experienced a moment of concern when Mikko Rantanen, a key player acquired before the trade deadline, was injured, but he quickly recovered.
Early in the second period, the winger was struck in the face by a puck shot by his teammate, Ilya Lyubushkin. He remained on the ice in obvious pain before heading to the locker room.
This was not ideal for the Stars, who are already missing key players like Tyler Seguin and Miro Heiskanen from their lineup.
Fortunately for the Stars, their worry was short-lived.
Rantanen returned to the game shortly after, wearing a full face shield, and was able to complete the match.
This quick return was a stroke of luck for Rantanen, who has had a turbulent season since being traded from the Colorado Avalanche on January 24.
His brief period with the Carolina Hurricanes was underwhelming, as he only scored six points in 13 games. When it became apparent that Rantanen and the Hurricanes would not reach an agreement on a contract, Carolina traded the two-time 40-goal scorer to the Stars, who then signed him to an eight-year, $96 million contract.
Since joining the Stars, Rantanen has contributed two goals and two assists in seven games.
