Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov is back in the spotlight for the wrong reason after Saturday’s game against the Blackhawks, where a second-period scrum turned into another costly discipline issue.
The NHL announced Sunday morning that Zadorov has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for roughing Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic during NHL Game No. 217 in Boston on Saturday, Oct. 31.
The play unfolded at the 18:34 mark of the second period. Vlasic and Bruins forward Casey Mittelstadt got tangled up after a play, and Zadorov jumped in, pulled Vlasic away, and threw a punch while Vlasic was still on the ice.
Zadorov was hit with two separate two-minute minors for roughing, along with a 10-minute misconduct. Vlasic also received two minors for roughing Mittelstadt.
The Bruins still came away with a 5-4 overtime win, but Zadorov’s penalty issues have become a bigger story of their own. He now has 47 penalty minutes, which leads both the team and the NHL.
That discipline problem already cost him a game earlier this month. Zadorov was scratched for Boston’s matchup with the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 17.
“Yeah, Z's a tremendous player and leader for our team,” said Bruins head coach Marco Sturm on Oct. 17.
“I think we've been mentioning for a while his discipline on the ice. I think that's something he just needs to be better [about].
But yeah, he was not happy but he's a great human being and he's a competitor and I do believe he comes [back] stronger after this message and he will be back to normal and even better after that.”
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