McNabb's 'incredible' return provides emotional lift for Golden Knights in Game 3 win

LAS VEGAS – Brayden McNabb stood in the Vegas Golden Knights locker room, the defenseman bearing 25-30 stitches, in his estimation, that started below his nose, went up the right side of it and across the bridge.

It couldn’t have been easy to breathe during normal activities, let alone while logging 35:47 of ice time two days after taking a puck to the face. Yet there was McNabb, stitched up and wearing a full cage on his helmet for the first time in about 15 years, doing just that.

“I don’t know. When you’re in it, you’re in it and mentally you’re just trying to battle,” McNabb said after the Golden Knights defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in a wild 5-4 double-overtime Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.

The Golden Knights lead the best-of-7 series 2-1. Game 4 is here on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, SN, TVAS, CBC).

“The guys played great. The third period wasn’t how we wanted it to be, but it happened,” McNabb said. “A bit more adversity but we came through it.”

Sure, the Golden Knights faced adversity after taking a 4-0 lead through two periods, only to squander it in the third when the Hurricanes scored four to force overtime. But McNabb was facing his own adversity after Game 2, when an 87-mph slap shot by Hurricanes forward Nikolaj Ehlers hit him in the face, just below his visor. He went to the hospital immediately after the game and while he flew back to Las Vegas with the team on Friday, it didn’t look like he’d be anywhere close to playing.

Golden Knights coach John Tortorella was in awe.

“When you get this far in the (Stanley Cup) 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. Those are the things you remember,” he said. “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.’ He’s more than that. I’m just blown away, how he’s gone about his business.”

“Warrior” was a common way to describe McNabb. Fellow defenseman Noah Hanifin had another.

“He's an animal, you know,” he said. “I knew it was kind of up in the air during the day, but once we got to the rink, I think we all had an idea that there was no way he was going to miss the game.”

Besides playing big minutes, McNabb also had two assists, including the primary one on his defense partner Shea Theodore’s overtime winner.

“The stuff he went through from last game and everything, I mean, it’s incredible for him to bounce back like that and be able to come into today, get ready to play and I thought he played unbelievable, given all the circumstances,” Theodore said. “I don’t think it’s ever easy, especially to wear a cage like he did. That’s a change in the vision and all that but he’s just so impressive out there.”

McNabb had his doubts about making it, especially when he was in the hospital after Game 2. But he said he felt good when he woke up, “then I knew I would have a chance.”

T-Mobile Arena fans responded to McNabb taking that chance. Not long after he came out for warmups he was shown on the video board and the crowd cheered. It turned into a big ovation when the Golden Knights starters, which included McNabb, were announced.

“Yeah, it was pretty cool,” he said. “Our fans are awesome. They have our backs so very cool.”

Hockey players often talk about adversity, especially at this time of year. McNabb’s injury looked brutal when it happened, and it wouldn’t have been a surprise if he missed at least a game, maybe more. Instead, he was right back in the lineup for Game 3 being, well, a warrior.

“I just don’t think you can say enough good things about him. His courage, heart, I mean, they don’t make a lot of people like him anymore,” Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel said. “He’s just such a selfless human being and so (many) guts.

“I could sit here and talk about him forever, right? To go through what he’s gone through and be out there and play incredible for us, he’s such a big part of this team, has been for a very long time and you know, he was huge for us tonight.”