Watch: Golden Knights' Jack Eichel takes gruesome shot to the neck

With 53.5 seconds left in the second, a Jonathan Marchessault wrister made contact near Eichel's head/neck area as he attempted to screen Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky. 

Eichel was in obvious discomfort after the play, rubbing the back of his head for perhaps a sign of blood before heading down the tunnel to the locker room to be looked at by trainers. The 26-year-old wasn't on the bench to start the third period but eventually returned near the midway point of the final stanza.

The former No. 2 overall pick has been one of the Golden Knights' leaders throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Entering Game 4, Eichel had 23 points (six goals, 17 assists), tied with Marchessault for the Vegas postseason lead. Eichel has posted points in seven of the last eight postseason tilts, but hasn't scored a  goal since Game 5 of the second round against the Edmonton Oilers. 

Acquired in a 2021 trade with the Buffalo Sabres, Eichel is coming off his best season with the Golden Knights. In 67 regular-season games in 2022-23, Eichel recorded 66 points (27 goals, 39 assists), his most since the 2019-20 campaign (78).