Near catastrophic scene involving Auston Matthews after taking a skate blade to the face

During the second period, Matthews would use his large 6-foot-3 frame to protect the puck while forward Cutter Gauthier was attacking, and in the process the Anaheim Ducks forward would be sent flying through the air.

With Gauthier having no control of his forward-momentum, his skate would come up in a scary moment and strike Matthews' visor.

This was a very close call to a disaster, and Matthews appeared quite shocked, throwing his head back due to the impact of the skate.

In the end, Matthews' helmet and visor prevented what could've been the worst case scenario.

Inches away from his neck, the Maple Leafs' goal scorer took a second to look around after the collision as if he was in disbelief of the situation that happened in the blind of an eye.

Witnessing such a close situation may continue to spark discussions about a neck guard mandate in the NHL, with cut-proof equipment.

Three players from the Pittsburgh Penguins took it into their own hands last season to wear neck protection following the tragic death of former NHL player Adam Johnson, who was cut by a skate blade.

Thankfully nobody was injured this time.