Maple Leafs Concerned Over Zadorov’s Hit on Laughton
Leafs centre Scott Laughton exited Saturday night’s game after a heavy hit from Bruins defenceman Nikita Zadorov in the second period. The Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 at Scotiabank Arena.
Coach Reaction
“I thought it was a head shot. I gotta take a closer look at it,” said Bruins coach Craig Berube after the game.
Laughton will miss Sunday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes, though Berube is uncertain about his longer-term recovery.
Player Responses
After the hit, Leafs winger Bobby McMann confronted Zadorov. McMann explained:
“I didn’t really see the whole thing. Just kind of caught it out of the corner of my eye. Didn’t really love the hit from what I saw and wanted to make sure he knew I didn’t like it.”
Centre John Tavares also weighed in:
“I didn’t see it, to be honest, super clean. But don’t like anything high that’s for sure and I know our bench didn’t like it. Not an easy thing by Bobby to get in there and step up for Laughty, so that was a hell of a job by him.”
Laughton’s Status
Laughton had recently returned from a lower-body injury sustained during training camp, making his regular season debut just Wednesday before the incident.
Author’s Summary
The hit by Nikita Zadorov on Scott Laughton has stirred concern within the Maple Leafs, impacting Laughton’s availability and drawing strong reactions from teammates and coaches alike.