Nathan MacKinnon proved once again why he's one of the toughest players in the NHL, earning widespread respect after battling through a brutal facial injury during the Colorado Avalanche's 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series.

The scary moment came late in the second period when Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews attempted to clear the puck out of the defensive zone. Instead, the puck caught MacKinnon square in the face at close range, dropping the star forward to the ice as blood poured from his nose and mouth. Arena staff quickly cleaned the ice before play resumed, and MacKinnon immediately headed to the locker room for repairs.

But here's where the story gets even more impressive: MacKinnon returned for the third period and capped off the night by scoring an empty-net goal to seal the win for Colorado. It was a gritty performance that had hockey analysts singing his praises.

During Sportsnet's postgame coverage, former NHL defenseman Kevin Bieksa couldn't help but joke about MacKinnon's dramatic night while also highlighting his toughness. "I usually don't cheer for guys for empty-net goals, but I feel like MacKinnon deserved that empty-netter. His own teammate shoots the puck at his face, his nose is bleeding everywhere, and he prides himself on his looks. He likes to be a good-looking guy. Now he's got the blood all under there. So he deserved that empty-netter."

Bieksa also laughed about the amount of blood on the ice before turning serious about MacKinnon's determination. "This was just such a big game. It's 3-1 now in the series. So there's the shot from Toews on a non-icing call, and he's puddles of blood everywhere and, like a hockey player, gets up."

In true hockey fashion, Bieksa added a lighthearted tip: "Whenever your nose is bleeding, kids, lift your head up so all the blood goes over the ice so everybody can see it. That's the key, right? Because you don't wanna have a bloody nose and no one sees it, because it's not really that much damage, but it looks cool."

With the win, the Avalanche took a commanding 3-1 series lead, and MacKinnon's gutsy performance is already being remembered as one of the defining moments of their playoff run. It's the kind of toughness that makes you proud to wear his jersey—or any gear from the Avalanche's playoff collection.