Niskanen leaves game after terrifying face-first hit into boards!

How did Matt Niskanen get up and skate off the ice under his own power from this hit? You will be asking that very question once you see what took place in Washington as the Capitals defenseman ended up plowed dangerously into the boards by two Carolina Hurricanes players. 

During the third period of the contest on Thursday, Niskanen was crushed into the boards as he fell in an awkward position. Justin Williams first attempted to check the blue liner in the corner, however, his Carolina teammate Clark Bishop kept pushing the Caps player and ended up ramming in hard, head first, into the boards. Some fans say Bishop appears to be bracing himself as he notices how close the boards are, however, many Capitals fans were terribly upset that no call was made on the play.

A team trainer came out to check on Niskanen, who miraculously skated on his own to the bench. He headed straight to the dressing room as fans chanted Wilson's name to encourage Niskanen's teammate to jump on the ice and defend his friend. 

Check out the hit, it is very tough to watch:

Fans across the NHL were expecting a boarding call on Bishop, however, the play was unpenalized. 

We'll just hope Niskanen feels better soon...