From the First Five Minutes of Happy Gilmore Newsdesk, here’s the most buckwildly dangerous play in a hockey game this season. During a pileup on Thursday night, Edmonton forward Zack Kassian kicked Tampa defender Erik Cernak in the chest with the bottom of his skate. Like, where the blade is.
Late in the first period, Cernak and Kassian, along with Oilers forward Josh Archibald, piled up just inside the Edmonton blue line. Cernak was on top of Archibald, so Kassian shoved him off using his skate blade. The kick hit Cernak in the chest.
Cernak was uninjured. There was no penalty on the play.
After the game, Cernak spoke to the media.
Cernak’s comments on the play pic.twitter.com/w8Wdoc47yy
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) February 14, 2020
“[Kassian] kicked me right in the chest,” he told the press. “Luckily, it wasn’t higher.”
Just last month, Kassian was suspended two games for attacking Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk. Also in January, Kassian signed a four-year contract extension with Edmonton worth $12.8 million. Kassian has skated 81 percent of his five-on-five minutes this season with Connor McDavid.
