Jacob Trouba has become one of the NHL’s most notorious hitters, and there have been many discussions about the 28-year-old this season.
Some would describe him as a dirty player whose hits are meant to injure, but some just think he’s playing the game as it should be. Last night, he showed everyone why he plays with the ”C” on his jersey and why he’s so well-liked in the Rangers locker room.
The New York Rangers and the Calgary Flames don’t play each other very often, but when they did Monday, it was a testy contest.
During the second period of the Rangers’ 5-4 overtime win, captain Jacob Trouba laid a huge, helmet-launching hit on the Flames’ star Nazem Kadri.
Kadri had no chance to counter the hit, and as he was on the ice, his teammate Dillon Dube attempted to make Trouba pay for the hit, as he sparked a fight. However, Dube didn’t stand a chance as Trouba wrestled him to the ground after tossing four to five punches.
Trouba also delivered a huge hit in the first period against Dube and then had to fight Chris Tanev. In the first period, Sammy Blais also hit Milan Lucic hard at center ice, which also sparked multiple fights.
All in all, the Rangers players delivered several amazing clean and hard hits, and the Flames players wanted them to pay for it every time.
Postgame, Rangers’ coach Gerard Gallant said that he felt it was an overreaction from the Flames player, as the hits were clean.
“It’s a shame you have to do that every time you throw a hit,” Gallant said. “I understand guys standing up for their teammates. It happens all the time, but I just think sometimes it gets a little overreaction.”
