Montreal Canadiens Not Happy With Torey Krug After Hit On Andrew Shaw
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Bruins and Canadiens have been lacking that bad blood that personified their rivalry for nearly a century. But it appears to be back, or at least a small dose of it.
Following a thrilling 2-1 overtime win by Boston in Montreal on Monday night, the Habs are a little sour on Torey Krug. The Bruins defenseman delivered a massive blow to the chops of Andrew Shaw on a first period collision as the two players raced for a loose puck. It was a bit of a borderline hit by the 5-foot-8 Krug, but no penalty was called on the ice.
Krug had yet to watch a replay of the hit following the win, but said he assumed Shaw was going to hit him as they went for the puck.
"I just went to grab the puck and thought he was going to hit me, so I just lowered the shoulder," Krug explained, according to CSNNE's Joe Haggerty. "I was just going for the puck, and I assumed that Andrew Shaw was going to hit me. That's about it. I saw him and I knew who it was, and I just assumed he was going to play the body because he's a physical player."
"It was a good hit," Bruins head coach Claude Julien said after the game.
Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien disagreed.
"I thought Shawsy was in a vulnerable position, and he got hit to the head," said Therrien. "I don't like the hit."
The NHL didn't have an issue with the hit, as Krug won't even have a disciplinary hearing with the league.
Montreal gave (or tried to give) Krug his comeuppance for the hit shortly after, as Brendan Gallagher challenged him to a tussle one shift later. It didn't last very long after the two threw off their gloves though, as Krug hit the ice after two light punches from Gallagher.
Monday night's game was a hard-hitting affair by the historic rivals, something their head-to-head matchups have lacked over the last few years.
"You saw a lot of hitting tonight, a lot of borderline hits; something we hadn't seen between these two teams for a while," said Julien. "The fans seemed to love it, so we'll try to stay within the rules and create some exciting games between the two teams."
We'll have to wait two months to see if things carry over, as the B's and Canadiens won't square off until February 12 in Boston.
