from Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News,

The night’s signature play came with 5:52 left in the first period. Foligno was attempting a pass up the middle and the 5-foot-7 Gionta stretched for it just inside the Buffalo zone but was hit high by the 6-foot-1 Bartkowski.

Bartkowski’s shoulder seemed to contact Gionta’s shoulder and head before his elbow followed through on the hit. Gionta cartwheeled through the air and landed face-first on the ice, appearing to suffer a cut before skating off the ice for good under his own power.

“I was a little ahead of him so I kind of saw him just hit the ice,” winger Brian Flynn said of Gionta. “I knew it must have been bad. I got back to the bench and guys said the hit was a little early and to the head.”

Coach Ted Nolan had no update on Gionta other than to say he was “a little shaken up.” But Nolan acknowledged Foligno is going to be out a while after suffering a major hand injury while battling Bartkowski.

“The head hits are dangerous hits,” Nolan said. “We’ll let the league look at that and make the correct call.”

more on the game...

Watch the hit and fight below...