Winnipeg Jets' Morgan Barron returns after taking skate to face, getting 75-plus stitches

Winnipeg Jets center Morgan Barron had a big scare while he was making his NHL playoff debut on Tuesday night.

Barron took a skate to the face during a goalmouth scramble in the first period of Game 1 of the first-round Western Conference playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Vegas goaltender Laurent Brossoit was diving back to freeze the puck after stopping Barron's initial shot, and his skate came up while Barron was being pushed to the ice by the Golden Knights' Chandler Stephenson.

“I was trying to figure out if the puck went in because it was pretty close,” Barron said. “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.”

MAPLE LEAFS: Michael Bunting ejected for hit on Lightning's Erik Cernak

Barron went to the dressing room and received more than 75 stitches, according to the Sportsnet broadcast of the game.

“Looks like he got attacked by a shark,” center Adam Lowry said. “It’s a scary thing. We’re all so worried about the puck crossing the line, and all of the sudden we see a trail of blood all the way from the crease to the bench.”

Barron returned to play in the second period, wearing a full face shield and sporting a bandage above his eye. He skated 10:44 in the Jets' 5-1 win over the Golden Knights.

He was drafted by the New York Rangers in the sixth round in 2017 and joined the Jets last season as part of the trade that sent forward Andrew Copp to New York.

Barron had eight goals and 21 points in 70 games this season.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jets' Morgan Barron takes skate to face in Game 1 vs. Golden Knights