‘I don’t think that’s a hit we want in our game’: David Backes was not happy with Oskar Sundqvist
"If that's a two minute penalty, there's going to be a shortage of defenseman I think in this series by the end of it, but that's in somebody's else's hands."
Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk left Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final in the first period for tests at the hospital after being hit from behind by Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist. Shorthanded, Boston went on to lose in overtime to St. Louis, leaving the series tied 1-1.
“He went to the hospital to get some tests, never returned obviously,” said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy after the game. “So we’re still waiting for an update.”
Oskar Sundqvist with a nasty hit on Matt Grzelcyk. 😬#StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/Yd6A0BfzMw
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 30, 2019
Former Blues captain David Backes was not happy with his old team.
“I don’t think that’s a hit we want in our game,” Backes said. “It was from behind, elevated into his head into the glass. If that’s a two minute penalty, there’s going to be a shortage of defenseman I think in this series by the end of it, but that’s in somebody’s else’s hands. That’s something I think if I’m making that hit, I’m probably watching from the bleachers for a few. But we’ll see what happens with their player.”
David Backes was not a fan of Oskar Sundqvist’s hit on Matt Grzelcyk (@TDBank_US) pic.twitter.com/sOF1QbUorW
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) May 30, 2019
The league is reportedly looking into the hit, with more information coming after it is reviewed:
NHL Player Safety taking a good look at the Sundqvist hit as expected. Whether or not it warrants a hearing we won’t know until Thursday.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 30, 2019
The Bruins were forced to play with only five defenseman for the remainder of Game 2, including overtime.
“Losing 15-16 minutes of [Grzelcyk’s] time, a good puck mover, a guy who can break down a good forecheck when he’s on, and that was clearly a strength of [the Blues] tonight, and a weakness of ours breaking pucks out,” said Cassidy. “So that’s where we missed him the most I felt.”
If Grzelcyk is unable to play in Game 3, the Bruins will have to introduce one of their backup options at defense.
“I’m not worried about them coming in,” Cassidy explained of the team’s alternative options. “They’ve played in the playoffs, helped us win games. I’m more concerned about [Grzelcyk’s] health right now. I don’t have an update. Hopefully he’s back and he’s fine.”
