The New York Rangers are having a great season in the NHL.
But last night came heavy pictures of Mika Zibanejad.
The bang now sends everyone into a frenzy.
– Dirty, says coach Peter Laviolette.
The New York Rangers have dominated the NHL this season, and with just three rounds left in the regular season, the team tops the entire league. The Rangers are now in serious playoff mode, and that’s why nightmarish images unfolded in the night’s rival meeting against the New York Islanders.
The nightmare images
Not only was there a loss against the rivals, they also suffered a heavy injury to star and key player Mika Zibanejad. And that would lead to a lot of anger among fans on social media, but also a heated war of words between the teams’ two coaches.
The playoffs in the NHL start in just eight days, that is on Thursday next week, and now Mika Zibanejad’s participation could potentially be in danger. It was during a power play that Zibanejad was heading back towards the Rangers bench when he suddenly collided with Adam Pelech’s shoulder. The blow took him straight to the face, and Zibanejad fell straight to the ice, before teammates swarmed him.
The great anger
Zibanejad was lying on the ice for a while, before he was helped out in the dressing room, and after the impact, there was no more play for Zibanejad. In North America, many were angry at the slam, when the puck was never even close. Rangers coach Peter Laviolette was clear about what he thought of the whole thing afterward.
– It was a deliberate and dirty elbow or shoulder to the head. Just look at the clip!, he tells the media.
The majority of hockey fans in the United States agreed that the slap was nasty, unnecessary and nasty. But Patrick Roy, legendary goalkeeper who now stands in the booth for the Islanders, disagreed.
– I don’t understand why we are even talking about this. It was an accident, he says.
When asked what he thought of the opposing coach’s comment, Roy responded succinctly:
– Frustration makes you say things sometimes.
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