Dan Boyle stretchered off ice after nasty hit from behind (VIDEO)

There was much concern during the first period of Tuesday night's game between the St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks after defenseman Dan Boyle was taken off the ice on a stretcher.

Boyle was playing the puck in the corner boards when Maxim Lapierre hit the Sharks player from behind. Fights broke out all over the ice after the hit while Boyle lay motionless in the corner and the Sharks trainer ran onto the ice to help him. Eventually Boyle was taken off the ice on a stretcher and Lapierre was given a five-minute major for boarding

The good news is that things do sound encouraging for Boyle via this tweet.

#SJSharks spokesman says: "Dan was alert and moving his extremities and has been taken to a local hospital for evaluation."
— Kevin Kurz (@KKurzCSN) October 16, 2013

Dan Boyle goes berserk on Corey Perry after 'sucker-punch'

The gloves literally flew off both Dan Boyle and Corey Perry's hands after the San Jose Shark's defenseman took offense at his one-time Team Canada teammate Perry's stick to the ribs late in the third period of the Sharks' 4-0 victory over the Anaheim Ducks.

Boyle flipped out after they batted all game but it seemed like known agitator Perry's contact on a shorthanded odd-man rush was the real turning point.

"On the short-handed goal, [Perry] sucker-punched me in the face," he said. "It just kind of carried on from there."

See if you can spot the punch to the face that Boyle retaliated for in the video below.