Golden Knights' Brayden McNabb hospitalized

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb was rushed to the hospital on Thursday night after taking a terrifying shot to the face during Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The injury occurred in the first period while McNabb was defending in front of Vegas goaltender Carter Hart. Hurricanes forward Nikolaj Ehlers fired a blistering 87 mph shot from inside the blue line, which struck McNabb directly around his visor. The veteran defenseman dropped to the ice immediately before eventually getting to his skates and rushing to the locker room while clutching his nose, News.Az reports, citing ESPN.

McNabb did not return for the second period, and it was later reported that he left the Lenovo Center to undergo further evaluation at a local hospital.

Losing McNabb is a massive blow to the Golden Knights' blue line. The reliable defenseman has been a workhorse for Vegas during this postseason run, averaging 20:53 of ice time and tallying one goal and six assists through 16 playoff games. Following his exit, defenseman Jeremy Lauzon was bumped up to the top pairing to skate alongside Shea Theodore.

Vegas held a 1-0 lead at the time of McNabb's exit but ultimately failed to hold on, dropping the game 4-3 in overtime. With the loss, the Stanley Cup Final is now locked in a 1-1 tie as the series shifts gears.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada