Nashville Predators defenseman Spencer Stastney is week-to-week with what the team called an upper-body injury he suffered Friday night during the 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks in Game 3 of their NHL playoffs series.

Stastney was playing the puck behind the Predators' net just under five minutes into the first period when Canucks center Dakota Joshua lowered his left shoulder into Stastney, causing Stastney's head to slam violently into the glass.

Stastney fell to the ice, where he remained for a few seconds before getting up under his own power. He skated past the ensuing scrum, toward the Predators bench — and toward Joshua.

Officials shielded the two from each other and Stastney eventually made his way down the tunnel.

Joshua originally was assessed a major boarding penalty, but after reviewing the play, officials downgraded the call to a two-minute minor.

Stastney returned to the game after the hit, but played just 5 minutes, 26 seconds in seven shifts before he left again, this time for good.

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"I didn't like it," Predators coach Andrew Brunette said of the hit. "We lost a player. I didn't get an explanation (for the call). I didn't ask. You're not allowed to ask.

"They saw it a certain way and you have to live with it."

With Stastney expected to be out for Game 4 on Sunday afternoon at Bridgestone Arena, Brunette likely will turn to either Dante Fabbro or Tyson Barrie to take his place.

Paul Skrbina is a sports enterprise reporter covering the Predators, Titans, Nashville SC, local colleges and local sports for The Tennessean. Reach him at pskrbina@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @paulskrbina. Follow his work here.

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NHL playoffs: Predators' Spencer Stastney week-to-week after hard hit