Not enough can be said about Brayden McNabb's courageous Game 3. The Vegas Golden Knights defenseman came back from a broken nose that he suffered in Game 2 and helped Vegas take an absolute thriller. Of course, that effort didn't go unnoticed by his peers.
That included William Karlsson calling his fellow Misfit "nails" and Jack Eichel commending him for his guys. But the most resounding endorsement came from head coach John Tortorella. He elevated the defenseman above being a fighter and placed him in a different universe altogether.
"I heard the players yelling warrior, he's more than that."John Tortorella on Brayden McNabb
When you go out and play with a broken nose, you deserve high praise and props for your courage. Add in two assists, a shot on goal, and a hit and it's easy to see why his return was admirable. Mind you, one of those assists came on Shea Theodore's game-winning goal in double overtime.
With that comes the obvious take from the Original Misfit regarding the nose injury. That only took six words to describe the agonizing pain.
"It was not ideal for sure."Brayden McNabb on his Game 2 injury
I mean, he's not wrong.
Brayden McNabb etches himself in Vegas Golden Knights history with a historic performance
Sports fans will remember the famous "Flu Game" by Michael Jordan, when he battled the bug the night before Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals and still led the Chicago Bulls to an NBA title. They'll also remember other iconic moments such as the New England Patriots coming back from a 28-3 deficit to beat the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl.
Mind you, that nearly happened in a similar fashion on Saturday (I will touch on that soon enough). But those performances will always be remembered for their grit and determination, putting athletes like Jordan and Tom Brady in a different realm. While Brayden McNabb isn't going to be mentioned in the same breath, that will hold a place in Golden Knights history.
How often do you see players come back from gruesome injuries two days after? It doesn't happen often, which makes McNabb's return much more iconic in Las Vegas sports. He endured a puck to the face to play in Game 3 and get two assists. Not only that, but he set up the game-winning goal in double overtime.
Let's not forget that the Golden Knights were dealing with missing defensemen in Game 2 and had similar problems throughout Game 3. Losing Noah Hanifin for a short period hampered Vegas, leaving McNabb to clock some minutes in. And boy, did he clock those minutes for the Golden Knights.
We're talking about 35:47 of TOI in Game 3. That's insane for a player who took a puck to the face. If the Golden Knights go on to win their second Stanley Cup, fans won't forget about McNabb's memorable Game 3 performance. It'll be a defining moment in the franchise's short, yet illustrious, history.
