Karlsson’s last shift came at 8:26 of the second period, when he skated to the bench not long after he was hit along the glass behind Carolina’s net by Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker. Karlsson’s left arm went into the glass as Walker hit him on the right side.
Karlsson, who was favoring his left arm/wrist as a Golden Knights trainer attended to him, went to the room during a stoppage at 8:35. ESPN then reported that he left the arena.
The 33-year-old has nine points (three goals, six assists) in 15 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Karlsson is also a big penalty killer (1:29 short-handed ice time per game this postseason) for the Golden Knights, who were assessed two consecutive penalties not long after he left the game. Carolina forward Andrei Svechnikov scored on the second power play to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead at 11:58 of the second.
Karlsson has 453 points (183 goals, 270 assists) in 752 regular-season games with the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Golden Knights. He also has 83 points (36 goals, 47 assists) in 126 postseason games, including 17 points (11 goals, six assists) in 22 games in 2023, when he helped Vegas win the Stanley Cup.