Tampa, FL (My Sportsbook) - New Jersey Devils captain Scott Stevens missed nearly all of Monday's playoff game against the Tampa Bay Lightning because of a lacerated left ear.

Stevens was hurt just over a minute into the game when he was hit in the side of the head with a slap shot by Tampa Bay's Pavel Kubina. The veteran defenseman fell to the ice and remained down for several moments before being helped to the locker room.

The Devils did not update his condition after the game, saying only that he needed stitches and had precautionary x-rays taken.

"I just know he had a whole bunch of stitches in the side of his ear," said Devils head coach Pat Burns.

The Devils struggled without Stevens in the first period and fell behind 3-0, then rallied with three goals in the second period only to lose 4-3 on a goal by Dave Andreychuk in the third.

"I think losing Scotty definitely hurt us," said Burns. "I think morale-wise it hurt us a little bit to see the gladiator that he is come off the ice the way he did. I think that really shook the bench up a little bit."

The Devils still lead the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series, 2-1, with Game 4 scheduled for Wednesday in Tampa. Stevens' status for the contest is uncertain.