The incident shook not only Tavare’s teammates but also Canadiens players.
– I tried to avoid going into John but when I skipped him he was unfortunately hit by my knee. We’re been good friends for all these years and I patted him as he rolled out of the ice and was happy to see that he gave a thumbs up to everyone in the arena. I really hope he’s okay, said Corey Perry when answering questions from the media after the match.
But when the game started again, Perry was forced to defend herself with her fists, when Toronto forward Nick Foligno challenged her to a fight.
– It was the old school’s way of making up, said the expert commentators on television in Canada and the USA when the match was analyzed.
Foligno defended his behavior by saying:
– I had not had time to see the replay of the event when the game resumed, but what should I do when our team captain is knocked out on the ice?
– So I said to Perry: ‘let’s get this straight away’.
John Tavares taken to hospital
Perry, who is also a veteran of the NHL, realized that the best thing was to take on the challenge so that the game would not continue with a series of thieves.
He did not deal any blows to Foligno during the fight but only tried to defend himself and after a short fight the players fell to the ice and the linemen intervened.
Both players were given five minutes each for roughing.
“Sometimes it can be the best solution for everyone to be able to move on and the emotions subside,” said former NHL star Patrick Sharp in the TV studio at NBC Sports.
Several of the hockey experts were badly affected by the incident.
– I get a stomach ache from seeing the replay of the bang even though I know it was an accident. I immediately think that John has a family, I think of his wife and his children and I hope that everything will go well, said former NHL player Mark Parrish.
Tavares was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Toronto, where he was allowed to remain for observation overnight until Friday.
No details about his injury had yet been released on Friday morning, Swedish time.
William Nylander goal scorer
The match, then?
It ended in a 2-1 victory for Montreal after Paul Byron decided in a numerical disadvantage with barely eight minutes left.
Toroto’s Joe Thornton lost control of the puck just inside the offensive blue line to Joel Armia, who sent it into the lane and Byron managed to keep out of a game-chasing Rasmus Sandin.
Although the Swede managed to knock Byron over when he rushed towards the box, he was able to kneel off a shot that surprised Toronto goalkeeper Jack Campbell.
It was thus a goalless event, where William Nylander was the home team’s only goal scorer.
“Nyllet” stood free at the left post and pushed in a return to 1-1 after just over four minutes of the second period.
Montreal had taken the lead in the middle of the first period through Josh Anderson.
This is the first time the two classic Canadian teams will meet in the playoffs in 42 years.
The last time they collided in the Stanley Cup was in 1979.
At that time, Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe was not even born.
