Leafs defenseman Roman Polak suffered a grotesque injury during Game Two of the Leafs’ first-round series against the Capitals. After absorbing a huge hit from Brooks Orpik, Polak’s ankle turned the opposite direction of his leg. Afterwards, the Leafs announced Polak was done for the season with a lower-body injury.

Tuesday, Polak arrived the Maple Leafs’ locker room clean out day on crutches while modeling a large cast on his right foot.

Polak said he immediately told the trainer "it's broken" when he was on the ice. "I felt it crack."

— James Mirtle (@mirtle) April 25, 2017

Polak told The Athletic’s Sean Fitz-Gerald that he underwent surgery soon after being ruled out of the playoffs. He never cited the exact surgery, but did admit breaking something in his lower right leg.

“I felt the crack,” Polak said to The Athletic, also stating he told the trainers right away it was broken.

Polak feels lucky that his knee is fine and that none of the big bones were broken.

As originally reported by Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, Orpik sent Polak a text after the game.

“It’s not like he wanted to do anything, or he wanted to injure me,” Polak said to The Athletic. “I actually told him, too, that it was my fault – I should just stick to my job, maybe dump the puck and go change, don’t try anything crazy there.”

Polak added that he had to stay in the hospital for a couple days after the surgery. With the team on the road and his family already back home, he had no one to help take care for him and the Leafs just wanted to make sure he was okay.

“Every surgery is basically bad timing, no matter what time of the year it is. After playing 82 games in the season, and then you get injured in the playoffs, it’s always tough,” Polak said. “But what do you do?”

Headline photo: Rob Carr