Built Ford Tough
Morgan Barron gets skate to the face, needs 75 stitches, says he was just worried about whether the Jets scored
Hockey players are built different. While the NHL hasn’t been immune to “soft” criticisms in recent years, the players remain as tough as a bed of nails, as evidenced on Tuesday night when Jets center Morgan Barron took a skate to the face during the opening game of Winnipeg’s first-round showdown with the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Viewer discretion is advised.
For most mere mortals, that’s a traumatic, life-altering event. For Barron, to borrow a phrase from the great Monty Python, it was just a flesh wound. Soon after receiving 75 (75!!!) stitches above his right eye, Barron was back on the Jets’ bench, protective facemask on, ready to go should he get the call. That’s playoff hockey for you, folks.
But wait, it gets even better. After the Jets’ 5-1 win, Barron was asked what went through his head during that terrifying moment on the ice. Not his face, not his eyes, not bleeding or scarring or any of that. He was worried about whether or not the puck had crossed the line for a Jets goal in the scrum.
We know the Knights just wrapped up a 110+ points season, we know they're the Western Conference's top seed, but no amount of skill can hang with that level of commitment. Jets by a billion. Book it.