No eye damage for Islanders’ Boychuk after skate to face

For the second time in a little more than a year, New York Islanders defenceman Johnny Boychuk experienced one of the scariest injuries that can happen during a hockey game.

Montreal’s Artturi Lehkonen fell in front of Boychuk, his leg flying up and slicing his face just as Boychuk leaned in.

And then came a few frightening moments as Boychuk reached under the visor of his helmet and held his hand over the blood streaming from his face.

How bad did it turn out to be? Well, 90 stitches worth of bad, but he — and his left eye — should be fine.

“There’s been no damage to his eye,” Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello said. “Fortunately, it just got the eyelid. It took 90 stitches to fix; a plastic surgeon took care of it.”

Boychuk skated off the ice immediately after the third period incident and the Islanders went on to lose 6-2.

“It was scary, for sure,” Lehkonen said afterward. “I felt it right away, that it hit somewhere high . ... I didn’t know really what to do.”

On Feb. 28, 2019, Boychuk sustained a similarly frightening injury when his neck was cut by the skate of Toronto’s Mitch Marner. He required no stitches to close a two-inch cut.

“You feel it hit your neck and just thoughts go through your mind,” Boychuk said at that time. “I’m just happy that nothing serious happened.”

Islanders captain Anders Lee used the word “scary” to describe the Boychuk injury Tuesday night.

“I think he’ll be OK, but it doesn’t matter, it’s a scary situation,” Lee said. “You hate to see that happen. It happens quick, skate to the face. I think that’s where all our minds are right now for sure.”

Boychuk, 36, has two goals and nine assists in 64 games this NHL season.