In Tuesday’s game between the New York Rangers and the Montreal Canadiens, a controversial incident involving Jacob Trouba and Justin Barron occurred.
The Habs defenseman was absolutely steamrolled by Trouba, who is known for delivering big hits whenever he gets the chance.
Barron didn’t return to the game, and he’s now out with an upper-body injury, courtesy of the Rangers defenseman.
READ MORE: Iconic referee Wes McCauley goes viral with great fighting call
Despite Trouba’s reputation for hitting hard and high, and occasionally with his elbow, he wasn’t sent to the penalty box. Mike Matheson, Barron’s defensive partner, immediately took exception to Trouba’s hit and dropped the gloves with the Rangers captain.
Barron was missing from the Canadiens’ practice on Wednesday, but a teammate of his made sure to send a message to both Trouba and the entire Rangers team. Arber Xhekaj, one of the toughest guys in the league, was a healthy scratch for the game but saw what happened to his teammates from the press box.
READ MORE: Jacob Trouba destroys Justin Barron with massive hit
On Nov. 30, the two teams will play again at Madison Square Garden, and Xhekaj said he will definitely remember the incident between Trouba and Barron when they face off again.
“Seeing a hit like that, I didn’t like it, and I know I probably would have done something if I was in the lineup, or dealt with it for sure,” Xhekaj said to Priyanta Emrith.
”But we’ll definitely remember it, and we’ll see what happens in the next game.”
