Watch: Nikita Zadorov pummels Jamie Benn with heavy rights in retaliation for hit on Brandon Carlo – Source: Imagn
Boston Bruins blue liner Nikita Zadorov came to his teammate’s aid, taking on Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn on Thursday.
The altercation began when Benn had leveled Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo into the boards while chasing the puck on an icing call. Zadorov took exception to the hit. After exchanging a few words with Benn regarding the situation, Nikita Zadorov pummeled Benn with a flurry of right hands.
Check out the wild action right here:
Jamie Benn says fuck the numbers and Nikita Zadorov takes exception #TexasHockey | #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/lRXWIMSnOq
— Missin Curfew (@MissinCurfew) November 15, 2024
The brouhaha took place midway through the first period of the Thursday night tilt between the Boston Bruins and the Dallas Stars. Dallas led Boston 2-0 at the time of the avoidable collision between Benn and Carlo.
Meanwhile, Carlo seemed all right following the play. There’s no word at the time if Carlo was injured in the play. Both Zadorov and Benn got major penalties for fighting, with Benn getting an extra minor for boarding.
Nikita Zadorov picking up the slack for depleted Bruins blue line
Nikita Zadorov has picked up the slack for a depleted Bruins defense corps. The Bruins are down two regulars – Andrew Peeke and Hampus Lindholm.
Zadorov played nearly 20 minutes while taking a total of 17 penalty minutes in the game. Those minutes include the fight with Benn in the first period. But beyond that, Zadorov’s presence has allowed coach Jim Montgomery to rely on him for support.
Part of the support is being a strong voice in the locker room. Following the Bruins’ 7-2 thrashing against the Stars, Nikita Zadorov was vocal about why the team lost:
“We lost every battle. Soft on the puck. Soft everywhere. Not finishing checks. Just got embarrassed today.”
🎥 Coach Montgomery, Nikita Zadorov, Jeremy Swayman, and Pavel Zacha react following the #NHLBruins 7-2 loss to the Stars on Thursday night in Dallas: pic.twitter.com/wynyXtoZXo
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) November 15, 2024
Zadorov’s comments, while being an honest assessment of Thursday night’s game, should be a wake-up call for the other Boston defensemen. His words are not meant to be an accusation as he was honest about why Dallas had such a lopsided win.
He took his comments one step further by expressing his frustration:
“We’re taking one step forward and one step backward. We got to deal with pressure.”
The Bruins next take on the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
