Marc Staal Eye Injury: Puck Hits Rangers Defenseman Hit In Face (VIDEO)

In a frightening moment that should reawaken the debate over mandatory visors in the NHL, Rangers defenseman Marc Staal took a puck to the face.

Just six minutes into the third period, Philadelphia defender Kimmo Timonen rocketed a slap shot from the point that deflected off the stick of teammate Jacob Voracek and into the face of the New York defenseman. The shot appeared to strike Staal near his right eye. It dropped him to the ice, writhing in agony. The description of the scene from the Rangers' official Twitter account captured the horror at the Garden.

Staal, who does not wear a visor on his helmet, eventually left the ice on his own and did not return.

"You can feel that it took the life out of the bench a little bit and the whole crowd," team captain Ryan Callahan told reporters after New York's 4-2 win, via NJ.com. "It's a scary moment."

After the game, Rangers coach John Tortorella had no update on Staal's condition.

UPDATE 12:59 a.m. EST: Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reported that Staal had not been taken to the hospital.

Correction: A previous version of this story misstated Tortorella's first name.