Jake McCabe explains the scary moment his face 'blew up,' and his reaction says it all
Photo credit: Toronto Maple Leafs - YouTube
Jake McCabe's face «blew up instantly» after taking a puck to the cheek and his reaction afterward highlighted the toughness he's known for.
Saturday's game against the Montreal Canadiens was anything but a game Toronto wants to remember. Not only were they outplayed for most of the night and came out with a 5-2 loss, but the team lost another member of the roster when Jake McCabe went down after a puck to the left side of his face.
There is currently no indication of when McCabe will return, which is a huge blow to a team already down Chris Tanev with no clear timeline for a return.
What Jake McCabe's reaction reveals about his mindset after the injury
But for McCabe, he at least took solace in the fact things may have been worse, and explained that while his face was bruised, tests confirmed there was no fracture.
Speaking to reporters, including TSN's Mark Masters on Tuesday, McCabe was grateful his injury wasn't worse though he initially feared the worst:
My face just blew up right away so they wanted to make sure there was no fracture, which there's not. So, yeah, got lucky on that one.
McCabe also kept a sense of humor about the situation, adding some self-deprecation and a humorous anecdote from his daughter:
I wish my face looked a little prettier every now and then [chuckles]. It's a tough sport, but I embrace that part of it and oftentimes it makes you play better.
My daughter asked me if after this road trip my face will look normal. I said, 'I hope so.' Knock on wood.
My daughter asked me if after this road trip my face will look normal. I said, 'I hope so.' Knock on wood.
Whether he finds himself looking in the mirror more or not, McCabe's absence is a tough loss for Toronto especially given how rough things have been so far.
He's officially day‑to‑day, and while there's no guaranteed timeline, the team believes he could return as early as Wednesday.
Now the team relies on names like Philippe Myers and Dakota Mermis to hold things down, and while they are serviceable to some degree, they don't bring the same defensive impact as McCabe, and the difference has been noticeable in recent games.
Besides Tanev, McCabe has been one of Toronto's most reliable defensive defencemen, and his competitiveness is missed in their current lineup. He's also been quietly bringing the offense with 10 points in 22 games (3 goals, 7 assists) along with 53 blocks and 30 hits.
Any longer without him means Toronto is down three of their six regular defenseman, and without any true needle-movers to fill the gap, the defensive depth is strained.
Avoiding a more serious injury; such as a fracture that could have sidelined him much longer, is a relief for Toronto given their current defensive injuries.
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