The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are an annual reminder of just how tough hockey players are.
Florida Panthers blueliner Josh Mahura is another great example of a player who’s willing to leave it all on the ice for his team.
During the second period of Thursday’s round two game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Mahura took the puck on a shot from William Nylander right to the face. The puck bounced off Mahura’s face so quickly that Nylander, captain John Tavares and some fans proceeded to celebrate, thinking that the puck actually went in and out of the net.
As you can see in the clip below, Mahura started bleeding out on the ice. Fortunately, he avoided a serious injury and managed to return in the third period.
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You’re always seeing players lose teeth during games, only to come out moments after getting stitched up on the bench. And there are always courageous stories about players fighting through painful injuries in a quest for the cup.
Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron is a prime example of this. The future Hall of Famer and annual Selke Trophy finalist played through a herniated disc is in his back in Games 5 to 7 of the Bruins’ first round series loss to the Florida Panthers.
Florida defeated Toronto 3-2 to take a commanding 2-0 series lead. Thursday’s victory came just four days after the Panthers stunned the record-setting Boston Bruins (65 regular season wins) in overtime of Game 7 in the opening round.
The Panthers are now just two days away from reaching the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 1996.
