It was in the middle of the third period that Zibanejad skated across the ice far from the puck to make a change. He drove into Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech, who stood like a wall.
Zibanejad was decked and then lay on the ice for a couple of minutes before limping out to the locker room. He returned to the booth but played nothing more.
The TV commentators were convinced that it was a pure accident. Rangers coach Peter Laviolette had a different view and was upset.
“Don’t know why we’re talking about this”
– Yes, he came back from that brutal blow. It came from the shoulder or elbow towards the head. You just have to look at it, says Lavioellt according to AP.
In the Islanders, you don’t understand the outrage.
– I don’t know why we are talking about this, quite honestly. “I’m a little surprised because it was clear to me that it was unintentional,” said former goaltending legend Patrick Roy, who coaches the Islanders.
The Islanders’ win boosted their chances of reaching the playoffs.