Golden Knights’ McNabb earns raves after playing with two dozen stitches from puck to face

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Brayden McNabb showed up for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final with at least two dozen stitches in his face that forced the Vegas Golden Knights’ defenceman to wear a caged helmet for the first time since his youth hockey days in Davidson, Sask.

“It’s part of hockey,” McNabb said. “You get through it.”

After the Golden Knights took a 2-1 series lead over the Carolina Hurricanes with a 5-4, double-overtime victory on Saturday night, Vegas coach John Tortorella was a bit less measured in describing the 35-year-old McNabb.

“When you get this far in the playoffs, it’s not so much sometimes the end result, it’s just attrition and all that goes in (with) what these athletes have to do to play as many games as we’ve played so far,” Tortorella said. “Those are the things you remember. I’ve been fortunate to be in a few playoffs along the way and see some of this. I haven’t seen something like this.

“I heard the players yelling ‘warrior,’” Tortorella said. “He’s more than that. I’m just blown away, how he’s gone about his business.”

McNabb took an 87 miles per hour puck to the face in Game 2 on Thursday at Carolina, and was taken to a hospital before the game ended.

Two days later, with a flight home in-between, McNabb was back on the ice for warm-ups. Wearing that caged helmet with “mid-20s, maybe 30” stitches holding his wounds together, McNabb logged nearly 36 minutes of ice time, delivered an arena-rocking hip check to Carolina star Taylor Hall, and finished with two assists, including one on Shea Theodore’s game-winner.

“A little tough, but I was able to get through it,” McNabb said. “Felt pretty good for the most part. The cage was different, getting used to that was a little bit (different), but for the most part felt OK, especially felt better as the game went on.”

McNabb’s grit has become familiar to Golden Knights fans. He’s been with the franchise since its inaugural season in 2017-18 and has played in a franchise-record 647 games. He also leads the Golden Knights in blocked shots with 1,416, which is the most among NHL skaters since 2017-18.

“It’s got to be near the top,” Theodore said when asked how McNabb’s performance Saturday night ranked during their nine years together in Vegas.

“The stuff he went through from last game and everything. I mean, it’s incredible for him to kind of bounce back like that and be able to come in today, get ready to play, and I thought he played unbelievable. He’s just so impressive out there.”

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