BOSTON — For the second time in as many games, the Maple Leafs are mad at Nikita Zadorov for a hit on a key Toronto player.
Like his hit on Scott Laughton on Saturday, the Bruins defenseman’s hit on Auston Matthews didn’t earn Zadorov a penalty.
Laughton hasn’t returned from his collision with Boston’s 6-foot-7, 255-pound blueliner.
The postgame focus on Zadorov and Matthews was on a hit with 11:28 left in the second period when Zadorov checked a pivoting Matthews and sent him sprawling awkwardly to the boards.
But Matthews got back up and stayed on the ice for another 28 seconds. He skated to the other end and hit Zadorov. After that, he went to the dressing room and didn’t return.
Zadorov defended his hit as hard but legal.
“It was just a normal play. I didn’t really hit him. I hit with my right shoulder,” he said. “Ninety-nine percent of my hits in the NHL are with my right shoulder.”
Zadorov said he wasn’t sure that the hit, which Toronto coach Craig Berube said should have been a penalty, was where Matthews sustained his injury.
“I’m not sure what hit he got hurt on. I’m not going to speculate on that,” Zadorov said.
Matthews officially left with a “lower-body injury” according to Leafs P.R. That classification helps Zadorov’s case. His impact appeared to be with Matthews’ lower body.
“There wasn’t any intention to hurt him. I play hard against top players on the other team, that’s my job.”
The sequence seemed to increase the hostility in a game that was already chippy.
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