MacKinnon hit in face by teammate's puck, returns to play

Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon took a puck to the face during the second period of Game 4 against the Minnesota Wild on Monday night in St. Paul, Minnesota. Teammate Devon Toews fired a clearing attempt from the crease that hit MacKinnon directly in the face instead of sailing to the corner as intended.

MacKinnon fell to his knees from the impact. An athletic trainer hurried over and pressed a towel under his nose to stop the bleeding. Blood covered much of his face, including the inside of his visor, as he skated toward the bench. He left the ice and headed up the tunnel for medical treatment shortly before the second intermission.

Despite the injury, MacKinnon suited up for the third period and played the rest of the game. Coach Jared Bednar said, "If he was going to be able to get out there, he was going to be out there." Bednar added, "I just felt for him because I just went through that. It doesn't feel very good." Bednar spent time in a hospital last month after a puck hit his right cheek, leaving him with facial fractures and a corneal abrasion in his eye. He missed two road games recovering.

MacKinnon finished the night by scoring an empty-net goal in Colorado's 5-2 victory. Through eight playoff games this spring, the regular season's leading goal scorer has six goals and six assists. The Avalanche lead the Wild 3-1 in the series heading into Game 5 on Wednesday.