Jets' Morgan Barron on Needing 75 Stitches After Skate to Face: 'Unlucky Play'

Winnipeg Jets forward Morgan Barron had a surprisingly calm reaction after taking a skate to the face that required more than 75 stitches to close before returning to Tuesday's playoff game against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The play occurred midway through the first period when Golden Knights goalie Laurent Brossoit's skate caught Barron when a group of players from both teams collapsed around the net.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Barron said he was looking to see if the puck went into the goal when he saw Brossoit's skate coming toward his face.

"It was an unlucky play," he explained. "The first thought was that I could see out of the [right] eye was the main thing."

Barron was taken to the locker room where he received medical attention to close the wound. The 24-year-old not only came back to the Jets' bench in the second period, but he was also on the ice with a full cage on his helmet to protect his face.

Jets center Adam Lowry said Barron looked "like he got attacked by a shark" and everyone was concerned, because they could "see a trail of blood all the way from the crease to the bench."

Barron wound up playing almost 11 minutes across 16 shifts. On the bright side, the Jets did get a 5-1 win to take a 1-0 series lead over the Golden Knights.

It's the first playoff victory for Winnipeg since a triple-overtime win against the Edmonton Oilers in May 2021.