Niklas Kronwall Delivers Brutal Hit to Kaspars Saulietis at IIHF World Championship (Video)

Niklas Kronwall doesn't limit the punishment he dishes out to NHL arenas. The Red Wings defenseman absolutely unleashed on Kaspars Saulietis at the IIHF World Championship in Sweden.

Kronwall (playing for Sweden) crushed Saulietis (playing for Latvia) in open ice along the boards. Saulietis immediately went crashing to the ice on his back, drawing a big response from the hockey enthusiasts in attendance.

The Stanley Cup playoffs have been far more punishing than usual this season, but few hits seen so far compare to this particular blow delivered by Kronwall.

Check it out in the video below.

A hat tip to NBC Sports' Pro Hockey Talk blog for pointing this out.