Maple Leafs Concerned Over Zadorov’s Hit on Laughton
During Saturday night’s game, Leafs centre Scott Laughton left the ice after a hard hit from Bruins defenceman Nikita Zadorov in the second period. The Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 at Scotiabank Arena.
Coach Craig Berube’s Reaction
“I thought it was a head shot. I gotta take a closer look at it,” said Bruins coach Craig Berube following the game.
Laughton is set to miss Sunday’s matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, though Berube remains uncertain about his return timeline.
Players React to the Hit
- Bobby McMann confronted Zadorov immediately after the hit. “I didn’t really see the whole thing, just caught it out of the corner of my eye. Didn’t love the hit from what I saw and wanted to make sure he knew I didn’t like it,” McMann commented.
- Centre John Tavares added, “I didn’t see it super clean, to be honest. But I don’t like anything high, that’s for sure. I know our bench didn’t like it either. It wasn’t easy for Bobby to step in for Laughton, so that was a hell of a job by him.”
Injury Context
Laughton, who had a lower-body injury during training camp, only recently made his regular season debut on Wednesday.
Summary: The Maple Leafs are deeply concerned about the impact of Zadorov’s controversial hit that forced Laughton out of the game, prompting strong reactions from players and coaching staff alike.