Maple Leafs Concerned Over Zadorov’s Hit on Laughton
Toronto Maple Leafs centre Scott Laughton left Saturday night’s game after a hard hit from Boston Bruins defenceman Nikita Zadorov in the second period. The Bruins defeated the Maple Leafs 5-3 at Scotiabank Arena.
Coach Craig Berube's Reaction
“I thought it was a head shot. I gotta take a closer look at it,” said Bruins coach Craig Berube after the game.
Laughton will miss Sunday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes, but Berube is uncertain about his recovery timeline beyond that.
Players Respond to the Hit
Bobby McMann confronted Zadorov following the hit. The Leafs winger commented,
“I didn’t really see the whole thing, just caught it out of the corner of my eye. Didn’t really love the hit from what I saw and wanted to make sure he knew I didn’t like it.”
Centre John Tavares also weighed in:
“I didn’t see it, to be honest, super clean. But don’t like anything high that’s for sure and I know our bench didn’t like it. Not an easy thing by Bobby to get in there and step up for Laughton, so that was a hell of a job by him.”
Background on Laughton’s Injury
Laughton had a lower-body injury during training camp and just made his regular season debut on Wednesday.
Summary
The hit from Zadorov has raised concerns for the Maple Leafs, with Laughton sidelined and teammates showing support. The incident continues to draw attention as the team awaits further updates on Laughton's condition.
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