- Brayden McNabb returned for Game 3 less than 48 hours after taking an 87 mph slap shot to the face
- He skated out in a full cage and started on the top pair with Shea Theodore
- Read below for the full story on McNabb’s return and what he’s meant to Vegas this postseason
Brayden McNabb is not human.
The Golden Knights defenseman was back in the lineup for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night, less than 48 hours after an 87 mph slap shot caught him flush in the face. He skated out for warmups at T-Mobile Arena in a full cage, took his usual rushes on the top pair with Shea Theodore, and drew a massive roar from the Vegas crowd when he hit the ice.
Knights insider Gary Lawless laid out just how rough the injury actually was:
McNabb took the puck off a Nikolaj Ehlers slap shot at 10:52 of the first period in Game 2. He dropped to the ice, grabbed at his nose, and headed straight down the tunnel with his hand over his face. He never came back, and Vegas dropped a 4-3 overtime decision in Raleigh.
The team later confirmed he had been taken to a local hospital. Two days later, he was starting.
The Review-Journal had the official word Saturday that he would play anyway:
Earlier in the day, John Tortorella wouldn’t tip his hand on whether his defenseman would go. McNabb answered the question himself by lining up on the top pair when the puck dropped.
This is no depth guy hanging on, either. McNabb has been one of Vegas’s best players in the playoffs, with seven points (one goal, six assists), a plus-10 rating, and just under 20 minutes a night. His three assists in Game 1 were the first three-assist game of his career in the regular season or playoffs.
He already owns the Golden Knights records for blocked shots (1,417) and hits (1,469), and he won the Cup with Vegas back in 2023. Taking an 87 mph shot to the mouth and starting two nights later fits the resume.
The series sat tied 1-1 heading into Game 3.
