BOSTON (AP) — Boston Bruins forward David Backes rushed himself off the ice Tuesday night after taking a skate blade to the face late in the first period but returned at the start of the second and finished the game.
Backes pushed Oliver Ekmann-Larsson near the side of the net and the Arizona defenseman went to the ice, kicking up his left skate on the way down. It caught Backes in the face, and he went down before skating on his own quickly to the bench and out the tunnel.
Backes returned and won the faceoff to start the second period. He did not speak to reporters during the open locker room period but told The Boston Globe as he left the building he had a cut on the side of his nose that required a few stitches and some ointment.
"It's always scary when your teammate takes a skate to the face, or really anywhere," Bruins forward Brad Marchand said after scoring twice and adding an assist in the 4-3 victory. "He's a little prettier now and no worse for wear."
Backes required 18 stitches to close a cut on his leg after a game against Tampa Bay in March.
