The Blackhawks captain took a puck off his head in the first period, providing a big scare for the team and all their fans at a time when Patrick Sharp is already out with a fractured wrist.

Duncan Keith fired a hard slap shot from the point that deflected off a Columbus defender and struck Toews in the head. The puck then bounced off the goal post. Toews slowly made his way to the bench, before heading to the locker room. But it didn't take long for him to return.

Afterward, Toews even joked about it.

"I spun and saw [Keith] take the shot," Toews said. "I don't know what it hit first before it hit me in the face. Sharpie was telling me in the locker room that it hit the post after. It was one of those things where it hits me in the face and it still doesn't go in. I can't get a bounce there. But it's alright; no big deal."

Toews didn't know how many stitches he received, but he said the puck made contact with his helmet first.

"It wasn't too bad," Toews said. "It could have been worse, I guess."

Toews also has stitches remaining in his lip after taking a high stick against the Edmonton Oilers on Jan. 2.

"I'm liking the look right now," he said.

So does coach Joel Quenneville.

"He looks like old-time hockey right now," Quenneville said. "It would have been a beauty [of a goal] -- [like] soccer."

(Image source: Scott Stewart/Sun-Times)