When Sabres lightweight defenseman Brian Campbell leveled Flyers rookie R.J. Umberger with a heavy -- but clean -- open-ice check 12 minutes into the first overtime of Buffalo's 3-2 double-OT win over Philadelphia, some initially feared the worst.
Umberger
Umberger, whose nose was bloodied, lay on the ice for several minutes before being helped to the locker room. After the game, he was up and walking around in the Philadelphia dressing room
Remarkably, Umberger said he only sustained a stiff neck and said he could play on Monday.
"I got my wits back real quick," Umberger said. "I lost a little bit of quick memory, but otherwise I felt fine. I wanted to go back out last night, but they wouldn't let me."
Campbell lowered his right shoulder and hit Umberger across the chest and jaw, catching the player with his head down after Umberger took a pass inside his own blue line.
"It was a legal hit," said Umberger, who has watched the replay once. "I didn't expect him, especially him, Campbell, to step up right there."
Campbell was happy to learn Umberger was OK.
"I was just trying to step up and make a play and it ended up being a pretty good hit," Campbell said.
Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock said Umberger needs to learn to keep his head up.
"He's a young player in his first series. He got welcomed in a big way. He'll be back," Hitchcock said. "You could see it coming from the bench. He was trying to get the puck up the ice, either get a breakaway or a 2-on-1."
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Monday night in Buffalo.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.