Amid the Islanders’ postgame celebration of a 6-1 win over John Tavares’ Maple Leafs on Thursday night at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum was the sobering realization that Johnny Boychuk barely avoided having his neck slashed by a skate blade.
Boychuk was ushered to the dressing room, bent over and holding a blood-soaked towel under his chin late in the second period after being caught by Mitch Marner’s skate blade.
The defenseman returned to the bench to start the third period and wound up logging 17:12. But the incident was not quickly forgotten.
“Thank the Lord on that,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said.