Logan Couture Injury: Updates on Sharks Center's Leg

The San Jose Sharks were already facing an uphill battle in their Western Conference Semifinals matchup versus the Los Angeles Kings, and now the underdogs might be hemorrhaging on offense. 

UPDATE: Sunday, May 19, at 12:10 a.m. ET by Ian Hanford

Not only did Couture return to the ice Saturday night, but, as ESPN's Pierre LeBrun noted, he scored the game-winning goal in overtime:

---End of update---

UPDATE: Saturday, May 18, at 10:53 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford

According to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun, Couture is back on the ice:

---End of update---

According to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun, center Logan Couture left Saturday night's Game 3 action at HP Pavilion after crashing hard into the boards:

LeBrun notes that the San Jose star was heavily favoring his left leg, though it's unclear what part of his leg was injured: 

Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun noted that Couture was unable to put any weight on his leg heading back to the locker room.

Couture left the ice midway through the second period with the score tied 1-1.  

San Jose came into Saturday night's action down 2-0 to the defending Stanley Cup champion Kings. Buoyed by the excellence of goalie Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles was able to stifle a Sharks attack that struggled for long stretches during the regular season.

Things will would only get worse if Couture is out an extended period of time. The 24-year-old center isn’t mentioned among the Sidney Crosbys of the NHL, but has fast become the Sharks’ most reliable offensive threat. Couture had nine points in six playoff games heading into Game 3, which was tied with seventh among all players.

That performance falls in line with Couture’s strong finish to the regular season. The fourth-year pro finished the 2012-13 campaign with 37 points, including a team-high 21 goals. 

While an assist is all he has to his name versus Los Angeles, Couture’s mere presence is a threat that has to be accounted for every time down the ice. Without him in the lineup, the Sharks will have to make major adjustments to their lines, ones that could prove critical against a Kings team peaking at the right moment. 

The Sharks are yet to release an official statement on Couture’s condition.