Ex-Bruins Forward Dropped With One Punch After Testy On-Ice Exchange

With 22 seconds remaining in the opening frame of the Sharks – Ducks contest on Saturday night, Anaheim forward Frank Vatrano cross-checked forward Klim Kostin in the ribs in front of the San Jose bench.

Kostin obviously took exception to Vatrano’s action and dropped the former Boston Bruin with one punch to the jaw.

The replay shows Klostin running into Vatrano on his way to the bench and the latter obviously didn’t appreciate the bump, leading to the exchange. Vatrano dropped pretty quickly from the left-handed jab. The pair were both assessed two-minute minors for their parts in the short-lived tussle, but the Ducks won the war. Anaheim defeated San Jose 2-0 for their first win of the season.

The Massachusetts native flashed impressive goal-scoring ability at times during his Bruins tenure, though. He broke into the NHL during the 2015-16 season after scoring 36 goals in 36 games for the Providence Bruins.

Vatrano played 108 games for the Bruins across three seasons before Boston traded the left wing to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry draft. He tallied 20 goals and 11 assists while donning the Spoked-B. Vatrana has played 565 NHL games with Boston, Florida, the New York Rangers and Anaheim throughout his 10-year career. He has 160 goals and 111 assists for 271 points.