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TJ Oshie’s big hit on Adam Fantilli is prospect’s ‘Welcome to NHL’ moment

By Chris Cerullo

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October 7, 2023 9:22 pm

TJ Oshie made his presence known physically in the Capitals’ final tune-up of the preseason, Saturday.

Oshie pulverized Columbus Blue Jackets top forward prospect Adam Fantilli with a big hit in the second period.

The kabong sent Fantilli’s stick flying high into the air and turned the temperature up in what had previously been a sleepy game.

Fantilli fumbled the puck at center ice and, as he went to collect it, he received his “Welcome to the NHL” moment from Oshie. A textbook, shoulder to chest body check. A YOWIE WOWIE as Craig Laughlin would say.

The Blue Jackets were not pleased with Oshie blowing up their budding star. At the next whistle, team captain Boone Jenner went after Oshie and caused a fracas behind the Caps net that led to Alex Ovechkin and Erik Gudbranson serving matching minor penalties.

Ovechkin received his roughing penalty for pulling Jenner off of Oshie and putting him in a headlock with one arm and yanking Gudbranson off the downed Oshie with his other arm.

Not satisfied, Jenner would waste no time starting more trouble just over a minute later. After Darcy Kuemper made a routine save in the final seconds of the period, Jenner skated by and gave the Caps number one netminder a late tap on his glove.

This time around though, Tom Wilson was on the ice for the Caps. Wilson intervened as expected and attempted to drop the gloves with Jenner behind the cage but the on-ice officials halted the melee before it could really start.

Jenner was handed a two-minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct and Wilson was sat down for two minutes for roughing. The angry discussing continued when the third period started and the players skated over to the penalty boxes to continue serving their penalties.

Metropolitan Division preseason action, folks.

Screenshot via @Capitals/X

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