The Boston Bruins are as put off by the Mark Scheifele hit on Jake Evans as everyone else.
In one of the most ruthless hits we’ve seen this season, the Winnipeg Jets star lined up the Montreal Canadiens forward as he scored a wraparound empty-netter to secure his team’s Game 1 win. The collision required Evans to get stretchered off the ice, and now Scheifele will all but certainly be suspended.
Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo, who was on the receiving end of a bad Tom Wilson hit that got the Washington Capitals winger suspended seven games, shared his thoughts on the play.
“Just circumstantial in the game, it’s not necessary,” Carlo told reporters over Zoom. “It is hard to see. You never want to see guys get hurt, especially in situations where it could’ve been avoided, that is tough. Overall, I think it’s on the individual player to make the right decision there. You just obviously have a heartfelt, going-out to the player there. You hope that he’s OK. I’ve been in that position. It’s not fun.
“So yeah, I really think that stuff in the game, just isn’t necessary. There’s obviously times when emotions are high and you might get a little bit of red brain and not really know what’s going on, but I think we all need to have that control.”
Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy gave his assessment of the play.
“Wow, that was a play that you don’t see very often in hockey, where a guy comes out the other side, especially with the empty net,” Cassidy said. “I guarantee you Evans did not expect to get hit in that circumstance. In five-on-five play, when you come around the net on a wraparound, the puck-carrier usually is anticipating some level of confrontation, but I don’t think he expected it at all. I don’t know — I watched replays, I haven’t got it down to the frame if he went through his head first or his shoulder. That’s the part that I’m sure they’ll look at. I know he traveled distance, so that’s gonna be brought up.
“I don’t think, it looked like to me, there was any maliciousness intended in the hit. It just sort of developed, and it was there and he took it. But boy, it was a tough one to take. I hope first and foremost — I have not heard a report medically if their player is doing well, I hope he is, obviously that’s the first thing you think of. It’ll be an interesting one, because you don’t see that particular play a lot, how the NHL’s going to handle that.”
Scheifele was not offered an in-person hearing, meaning his suspension, if there is one, won’t be any more than five games.
