Last night, the Boston Bruins battled back from a 4-2 third-period deficit against the Florida Panthers to earn one point, but ultimately lost in the shootout to Brad Marchand's shootout winner for Florida.
Early on in the first period, Florida's fourth-line forward Sandis Vilmanis lined up Boston superstar Charlie McAvoy for a hit in the neutral zone.
Instead of keeping his feet planted and trying to hit McAvoy clean through the chest, Vilmanis plastered McAvoy by leaving his feet, leading with his elbow, and clocking McAvoy in the head.
Somehow, the officials only called a two-minute minor, and Boston took exception to the obvious cheap shot. The officials put Boston shorthanded (one minor for a rough, one for a bench misconduct on Sturm, making it a 4-on-3 instead of the initial 4v4).
Postgame, Bruins' Head Coach Marco Sturm demolished the officiating.
"It was a brutal hit," Sturm told the media, including Ty Anderson. "Everyone saw it. Obviously, I have the opportunity to look at the replay, too. But to come out on the ice with a four-on-four like that, I just didn't understand it. That's all."
It's perhaps the harshest language Sturm's used through his tenure so far, usually finding himself much more measured when speaking to the media.
Not last night, not after that cheap shot. Sturm wasn't done, either.
"I'm here to protect my guys, especially Charlie," Sturm continued. "If you target the head, which was clear to see, that just pisses me off."
It's the type of thing that makes players run through a brick wall for you. McAvoy, luckily, was ok and returned to the game.
In a twist of fate, Vilmanis actually injured himself in the process and did not return with an upper-body injury.