Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov likely to miss game after fight

April 16 (UPI) -- Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov is likely to miss the game four NHL playoff with Washington after being placed in concussion protocol.

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said on the team's website that he assumes the 19-year-old Svechnikov will not be able to play after being knocked out by Capitals star Alex Ovechkin in a fight during Monday's game.

Washington leads the best-of-seven series 2-1.

Svechnikov, a native of Barnaul, Russia, is the youngest player in the NHL playoffs.

The 33-year-old Ovechkin hit Svechnikov with a right hook during a first-period fight in the Carolina 5-0 victory.

Following the hook, Ovechkin hit Svechnikov with three right jabs before the younger player  fell to the ice, hitting his head.

Svechnikov stayed down for several minutes, then was helped off by trainers. He did not return to the game.

"First of all, I hope he's OK," Ovechkin told ESPN. "Yeah, I'm not a big fighter, and he's the same. He asked me to fight and said, 'Let's go.' I hope he's OK. You don't want to see a guy get hurt or something. And you just go a different way.

"We got maybe a little bit frustrated and too confident. We just have to forget about it and move forward."

Svechnikov has stated that he grew up idolizing Ovechkin.