Jets center Morgan Barron put on an impressive display of toughness Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena.
Barron took a skate to the face in the first period of Winnipeg-Vegas Game 1. The 24-year-old was among a sea of bodies pursuing the puck in front of the Golden Knights net and he eventually fell face-first into the blade of Vegas goaltender Laurent Brossoit. A bloodied Barron immediately skated off the ice and made his way back to the Jets’ dressing room.
But that wasn’t the end of Barron’s night. The third-year pro was back out there for the start of the second period rocking a cage and more than 75 stitches on his face. After Winnipeg’s 5-1 win, Barron relived the gruesome-looking incident.
“I was trying to figure out if the puck went in because it was pretty close,” Barron told reporters, per ESPN. “I saw the skate coming. It was an unlucky play. The first thought was that I could see out of the (right) eye was the main thing.”
Jets teammate Adam Lowry joked that Barron looked like he “got attacked by a shark.” Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness, meanwhile, acknowledged how Barron’s gutsy return to the ice gave the visitors a “big boost” in their postseason opener.
Barron and the Jets will try to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series Thursday when the Western Conference foes meet again in Vegas.
