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Taylor Hall takes skate to the face in warm-ups

Taylor Hall, Paul Gaustad

Buffalo Sabres’ Paul Gaustad (28) battles for the puck with Edmonton Oilers’ Taylor Hall (4) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012. (AP Photo/David Duprey)

AP

The Edmonton Oilers have had their share of injury problems this season, but this one has to take the cake. While skating in warm-ups before their game in Columbus tonight, Taylor Hall fell and was cut in the face by teammate Corey Potter’s skate. According to a team spokesman, Hall “fell and a teammate tried to avoid him and his skate cut him.”

In the aftermath, Hall took a deep cut above the eye and according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, “may require more extensive repairs.” In this case, “extensive repairs” consisted of 30 stitches for the Oilers winger. Initial reports said that Hall was sent to the hospital, but later it was clarified that he was being attended to by the Oilers medical staff at Nationwide Arena.

For anyone wondering how he could be cut around the eye while he wears a visor, he was not wearing a helmet during the warm-ups.

The injury means the Oilers were forced to start the game without Hall, superstar rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Jordan Eberle tonight. For those keeping track at home, that means the Oilers are without 45 goals and 64 assists between those three productive forwards.

Then again, the Oilers were able to rack up a pair of goals as they raced out to a 2-0 lead through the first period of action...

Update (10:04pm EST): ...and after scoring the first two goals of the game, the Oilers watched Columbus rattle off four straight goals for the 4-2 win.