Freak play in the NHL on Monday ... a puck made its way through a tiny window in the glass and hit a photog so hard in the jaw -- the dude needed a bandage to stop the bleeding.
The unlucky shot went down in the 1st period of the Capitals vs. Sabres game in Buffalo, NY ... when defenseman John Carlson tried to clear a puck by sending it up the boards.
what are the chances pic.twitter.com/lzzfuYqnlY
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) March 9, 2020
The problem ... the puck somehow made its way into the small cutout of glass where photographers place their camera lenses through -- and it caught a man right in the face.
You can see in footage of the fluke play ... the puck went right through the window at a high speed and left the guy's chin a bloody mess.
Fortunately for the photog, KeyBank Center officials were able to get him a towel and a bandage and he stayed in the game to keep shooting the action.
The Washington Capitals certainly appreciated the resilience ... they said of the whole incident, "Photographer is a certified #HockeyGuy - gonna shoot thru the pain. #Respect"
Tough dude!!!