(Las Vegas) Matthew Tkachuk targeted Jack Eichel and landed a hard-hitting check in the middle of the rink that knocked him to the icy surface.
Eichel quickly got to his feet and immediately headed for the locker room, where he remained for a few minutes late in the second period of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals to the horror of the Vegas Golden Knights. Rather than retire his kit, Eichel returned to the game in the third period and set up the fifth of seven scored by the Golden Knights in a 7-2 win over the Florida Panthers. The Nevada team also took control of the final series 2-0, and they are only two wins away from lifting the precious trophy.
Bodychecking caused a lot of buzz in the hockey world, but there was quickly a consensus about its legality. And then Eichel rose to his feet and was once again instrumental in the Golden Knights victory, once again emphasizing the importance of “paying the price” for success. The players, after checking in on Eichel during intermission to make sure he was okay, repeated the adage over and over.
“It was a really big crash,” admitted Eichel. It is a physical sport. You will get hit on occasion. We must quickly turn the page and continue. »
“You have to be aware of that, you know? You have to keep your head up at all times,” he recalled.
This kind of body checking was commonplace in the NHL not so long ago, but it has faded with the tendency for players to rely more on skill rather than toughness to get the upper hand. .
Tkachuk, the Panthers’ leading scorer in the playoffs and their point guard, isn’t shy about delivering hard-hitting checks that could change the look of a game. He also believes, like many of his predecessors, that players must protect themselves at all times and that they are solely responsible for their misfortunes.
“It doesn’t matter who you are: you should never cut into the middle of the rink with your head down,” Tkachuk said. You are going to get hit. I’d get hit, too, if I had my head down in the middle of the rink. It’s nothing special. He’s a very good player (Eichel), and very good players can get hit too. »
The check looked even worse as Eichel seemed to lose his balance a split second before contact. His helmet twirled in the air and he landed brutally on the playing surface, before struggling to get up, grimacing.
Eichel admitted he lost his breath over the game, but assured the streak looked worse than it actually was.
“You never want to see a guy like Jack get hit like that,” said Quebec teammate William Carrier. He looked out of shape on the rink, to be honest. »
Eichel didn’t find it necessary to lie on the rink waiting for Golden Knights therapists to intervene. So he got up and headed for the locker room, where he was able to slowly come to his senses.
When did he know he was going to be able to carry on? Shortly after the incident.
“I went there (to the locker room) and came to my senses,” Eichel said. I pulled myself together and knew I could go on. »
Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals will be played Thursday night in Sunrise, Florida.