They say hockey players are a tough breed, and there may be none tougher than New York Rangers defenseman, Kevin Klein.
After losing a part of his ear early in the game via a high stick from Pittsburgh's Zach Sill, Klein rallied and was eventually able to pot the game-winner in overtime.
"It might have hit their D-man in front. I was just trying to get it by," Klein said of his slap shot, according to FOXSports.com. "When it went in, I was pretty happy."
Klein, a defenseman's defenseman - meaning he's known more for his abilities to block shots, knock players off the puck and play with good angles and awareness - isn't often praised for his offensive skill.
But this season, and in last night's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, a 4-3 overtime victory, Klein showed what a big defenseman with a strong shot can do when given some opportunities with the puck.
He's got six goals thus far this season - the best mark of his career - three of which have been game-winners, two of which came in overtime.
This last one was especially impressive considering the high stick from Sill earlier in the game which actually required Klein to leave the ice for a brief period to have the portion of his ear that had been severed, reattached with stitches.
Check out the video below.
"I am getting a lot of heat because I'm not using him on the power play," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said with a smile. "That is the second time he has come up real big for us in overtime."
"Good for him. He lost a piece of his ear, and they sewed it back. Say what you want about hockey players, but they are tough."
This article has been updated.
