Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar wears cage after losing teeth

CHICAGO -- Forward Frank Nazar lost two of his top front teeth when he was hit by a puck in the second period of the Chicago Blackhawks' loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.

But he was back on the ice Monday night. Wearing a protective cage over his face, Nazar took 17 shifts, covering 17:35 time on the ice, in the Blackhawks' 5-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. He and his team will close the season Wednesday vs. the San Jose Sharks.

"Got it pretty good, but could be a lot worse," Nazar said before the loss. "So, pretty thankful."

Nazar, 22, was sidelined for a month after he broke his jaw when he was hit in the face by a puck during a 6-4 loss at Ottawa on Dec. 20. He returned Jan. 22 at Carolina.

Nazar, a first-round pick in the 2022 draft, has 15 goals and 26 assists in 65 games in his third NHL season. He agreed to a seven-year, $46.2 million extension with Chicago in August.

Defenseman Ethan Del Mastro played against the Sabres, registering three shots in his 20 shifts and 16:13 time on the ice. Del Mastro, 23, was scratched Saturday because of an unspecified injury.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.