Nikita Zadorov’s response to hit on Auston Matthews sparks outrage

Last night, Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews was forced to leave the game against the Boston Bruins after he was hit from behind by defenseman Nikita Zadorov forcing him to fall awkwardly into the sideboards.

After the game, head coach Craig Berube had no immediate update on Matthews’ condition.

“We’ll see tomorrow. Right now it’s lower body, we’ll just see tomorrow how he is,” Berube said post-game.

“I don’t know exactly,” he continued when asked if he believed Matthews’ injury was serious. “I can’t give you guys a timeline or how serious it is right now. I’m not sure when he hurt it to be honest with you.”

When asked about the hit that injured the Leafs’ captain, Zadorov had no remorse, explaining:

“It was just a normal play. I didn’t really hit him. I hit my right shoulder, 99% of my hits in the NHL are with my right shoulder…”

“There was really no intention to hurt him. I play hard against top players on the other team, that’s my job.”

Many of Matthews' teammates and several fans thought that the Maple Leafs' captain was in a vulnerable position and should not have been targeted with the hit...

Matthews finished the game with 10:51 of ice time and one hit. He is expected to be evaluated shortly and we will keep you posted on his condition.

Through 16 games this season, Matthews has collected nine goals and 14 points and is averaging a career-high 21:54 of ice time.

Unfortunately for Toronto, the club also announced that goaltender Anthony Stolarz, who was replaced after the first period by Dennis Hildeby, suffered an upper-body injury and exited the game as a result.

Tough times in Toronto… but Zadorov couldn’t care less.