Maple Leafs Challenged by Zadorov’s Hit on Laughton
Toronto Maple Leafs centre Scott Laughton left Saturday's game after a heavy hit from Boston Bruins defenceman Nikita Zadorov in the second period. The Bruins defeated the 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.” — Craig Berube, Bruins coach
Berube expressed concern about the hit and mentioned he would review the incident more thoroughly. Laughton will miss Sunday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes, though further injury details remain unclear.
Player Responses to the Hit
- Bobby McMann confronted Zadorov immediately after the hit. He said, “I just caught it out of the corner of my eye. Didn’t like the hit and wanted to make sure he knew that.”
- Centre John Tavares commented, “I didn’t see it very clean, but anything high is never acceptable, and our bench definitely didn’t like it. Bobby stepping up for Laughton was a strong move.”
Context on Scott Laughton’s Injury
Laughton, who previously suffered a lower-body injury during training camp, only returned to the regular season on Wednesday before the incident with Zadorov.
Summary
The Zadorov hit on Laughton sparked concern and confrontation, resulting in Laughton missing at least one game as the Maple Leafs question the hit's legality and impact.