Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb was taken to a local hospital Thursday night after a frightening injury during Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The scary moment happened with 9:08 left in the first period at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.
McNabb was defending in front of Golden Knights goalie Carter Hart when Hurricanes forward Nikolaj Ehlers fired a slap shot from inside the blue line. The puck, which was reportedly traveling 87 mph, struck McNabb in the face near his visor.
McNabb immediately collapsed to the ice as players and officials reacted to the terrifying scene.
He was eventually helped to his feet while clutching his nose and made his way off the ice. He did not return to the bench for the second period.
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ESPN’s Emily Kaplan later reported that McNabb had left the arena and was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.
The loss was a major blow for Vegas, which was already trying to protect its series lead after winning Game 1 by a score of 5-4.
McNabb has been a key part of the Golden Knights’ playoff run. Entering the game, he had one goal and six assists in 16 postseason games while averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per night.
With McNabb out, defenseman Jeremy Lauzon moved up to play alongside Shea Theodore on the top defensive pairing. That left Vegas with only five defensemen for the rest of the game.
Despite the setback, the Golden Knights kept pushing.
Brett Howden scored his second goal of the night and 13th of the postseason to extend Vegas’ lead. For a while, it looked like the Golden Knights might take a commanding 2-0 series advantage.
But Carolina came storming back late in the third period.
Logan Stankoven started the rally with 9:40 left in regulation. Just over two minutes later, Mark Jankowski tied the game at 2-2.
Then Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal gave Carolina its first lead of the night, redirecting a power-play goal with 4:35 remaining.
Vegas still refused to fold.
Golden Knights captain Mark Stone scored with just 1:21 left in regulation, forcing overtime and quieting the Carolina crowd.
But the extra period did not last long.
Seth Jarvis scored the overtime winner for the Hurricanes, completing a stunning 4-3 comeback victory and tying the Stanley Cup Final at one game apiece.
The series now shifts to Las Vegas for Game 3, but the Golden Knights will be waiting anxiously for updates on McNabb after a brutal shot to the face turned an already intense championship matchup into a frightening scene.