Before Wednesday’s game, Jason Chimera, a man with a bunch of pride and a terrible possession score, reportedly said to Pierre McGuire that he doesn’t consider himself a fourth line player. He deserved more minutes, according to Pierre’s telling.

After Wednesday night, it’s hard to argue with him. Chimera scored the game’s only goal: a bizarre deflection in front of the net. And he played much of the game while bleeding from the face.

Chimera’s goal came early in the first period. Chimera deflected a desperate keep-in by Matt Niskanen to beat back-up goaltender Rob Zepp.

GFY by @myregularface

Later, Chimera proved his mettle by continuing to play despite a nasty gash in his face.

Towards the very end of the second period, NBCSN caught Chimera on the bench bleeding from his left cheek. Blood stained his jersey. This comes three months after Chimera’s nose was disfigured into a C-shape after absorbing a hit during a game against Detroit.

“You see the marks on his face,” McGuire explained. “That came from a friendly-fire incident in the second period. Halfway through the second period, he collided with his own man, Joel Ward, and Ward’s stick made that mark on his face. He had to go in [the locker room] for the rest of the second period to get some heavy duty repairs.”

A face only a mother could love.

Chimera’s teammates awarded him with a smelly beard and top hat as the Caps Honest Abe Player of the Game. Or, perhaps, they were just trying to stop the bleeding.

The media asked Chimera what happened.

“I went to get a hot shave and the guy did it,” The Ice Cheetah joked. “Wardo was telling me he was one of the best guys and he kinda cut me before the game. Safe to say I’m not going to go [to that barbershop] again.”

At the end of the media scrum, Chimera admitted some frustration.

“You’ll take stitches on the ice, but I don’t want to take them on the bench.”

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Photo: @katiebhockey

Additional reporting by Chris Gordon.