Ryan Reaves crushes Victor Hedman and knocks him out of the game.

This ladies and gentlemen is the product of pure power.

On Friday night the Tampa Bay Lightning were facing off against the Las Vegas Golden Knights and although the two teams find themselves in drastically different positions this season it turned out to be a pretty solid game. By the time it was all said and done the Lightning managed to fend off a surge in the second half of the game from the Golden Knights to win by a score of 3 - 2, but it was a game that came at a heavy cost for the Bolts.

In the opening minutes of the games second period the Lightning lost towering blue liner Victor Hedman to an apparent injury after Hedman was the victim of one of the most jaw dropping hits of the season. Hedman, one of the National Hockey League's biggest men, was absolutely leveled by a hit from notorious Golden Knights bruiser Ryan Reaves and it produced the kind of impact that I don't think I've seen since Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien hammered Edmonton Oiler Luke Gazdic.

There's no way that Hedman was expecting that level of power from Reaves, I say this because I don't think anyone expected to see Hedman manhandled in this fashion, and the hit not only took him off his feet but sent him sailing through the air as a result. Unfortunately for both the Lightning, and for Hedman himself, the big Swedish defenseman eventually came crashing down right alongside the boards. 

It's only speculation at this time but based on the video below it does appear that Hedman's head took the brunt of the impact along the boards and I strongly suspect that this is why the big man would immediately leave the game following the hit. If you watch closely as Hedman heads down the tunnel and back to the Lightning locker room it appears as though he stumbles on his way down the tunnel, another indication that his brain may have been rattled by the hit.

Regardless of how Hedman got injured however, this is one of the most impressive displays of physical strength I have seen in the NHL in a long time.

[pub]