RALEIGH, N.C. — Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb was forced to exit Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday night after being struck in the face by a puck.
McNabb was hit directly in the face by a slap shot from Carolina’s Nikolaj Ehlers during the first period. The defenseman immediately dropped his stick, fell to the ice, and clutched his nose before skating off and heading to the locker room.
“It’s a scary play,” forward Brett Howden said. “You never want to see that. Just hope he’s doing all right. We haven’t seen him yet but hope he’s doing OK.”
McNabb was unable to return to action, forcing Vegas to continue the game with only five defensemen available.
“You lose a guy like Nabber who logs heavy minutes, such a good teammate, plays the game so hard, it’s tough,” captain Mark Stone said. “They battled as hard as they could.”
Coach John Tortorella said “they played well” and had no update when asked about McNabb’s condition after the Hurricanes’ overtime victory that tied the series.
The injury came after McNabb recorded the first three-assist game of his NHL career in Game 1. He is among three original Golden Knights players who have remained with the franchise throughout its nine-year history and are appearing in the final for a third time.
“Any time you see that happen to a teammate, especially to a guy like Nabber who is a huge part of this team, a leader, it’s tough,” fellow D-man Noah Hanifin said. “It’s hard to see that happen to any guy on the ice. We’re just hoping for the best for him.”
The Golden Knights had restored their complete, healthy roster for the series opener when Jeremy Lauzon returned from injury. However, that full lineup was short-lived.
If McNabb cannot play in Game 3 on Saturday, either Ben Hutton, a left-handed shooter, or Kaedan Korczak, who had been filling in for Lauzon, is expected to take his place.
