Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin learned an unfortunate lesson on Saturday.
The rookie defender made the mistake of watching an attempted pass in his own end and paid a devastating price, issued to him by Ottawa Senators rearguard Tyler Kleven. Kleven bulldozed the unsuspecting blueliner with a massive hit along the boards.
Nikishin appeared to be knocked unconscious by the sheer force of the blow, lying motionless on the ice before attempting to get up and immediately stumbling back down. He needed assistance from his teammates to get back to Carolina’s bench.
Andrei Svechnikov jumped Kleven after the hit, throwing several punches to the back of the downed defenseman’s head and neck. He received a double-minor penalty for roughing, while Ottawa’s Jordan Spence also received a minor for roughing. Kleven was not penalized.
Nikishin would not return for the rest of the period.
The hit and ensuing scrum was only the beginning of what would become a very heated second period. Soon after, Brady Tkachuk would get involved with two big checks on Taylor Hall and Jalen Chatfield.
After the Senators iced the puck, the Hurricanes responded by throwing enforcer Nicolas Deslauriers over the boards. Deslauriers immediately went after Tkachuk, earning himself a minor penalty for roughing and another for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The Senators seemingly got the Hurricanes off their game for the first time in the series, much to the chagrin of Carolina’s head coach, Rod Brind’Amour.
The typically fiery bench boss was not pleased that the Senators received eight power plays in the first two periods, screaming in the face of referee Kendrick Nicholson.
After the dust settled, both teams ended up with a goal apiece and 11 separate minor penalties in the period. The Hurricanes added three more tallies in the third period to close out a 4-2 win and a 4-0 series sweep.
The Senators needed a win on Saturday to extend the series after dropping the first three games to the Hurricanes by a combined 7-3 score.
