Witnesses observed Gudas staggering after the collision, prompting him to head straight to the Panthers' locker room. Unfortunately, Gudas did not make a comeback for the remainder of the game, raising concerns about his availability for Game 3. Given the extra day between Games 2 and 3, the Panthers held onto hope that Gudas would recover in time.
If Gudas can return close to full strength, it would undoubtedly provide a significant boost to the Panthers. However, if he is unable to deliver what the team needs, another loss would all but extinguish their hopes of capturing the Stanley Cup.