Alain Vigneault had some strong words for a nasty Dustin Byfuglien cross check on New York Rangers forward J.T. Miller during Tuesday’s game.
Byfuglien, the towering Winnipeg Jets defenseman, delivered a vicious cross check to the back of Miller’s neck while the forward was sitting on the ice after an opportunity in front of the Jets net. There was no call on the play.
The Rangers did get revenge: A 3-2 victory that saw Chris Kreider burn Byfuglien with terrific speed for the winning goal, assisted by Miller, and Byfuglien penalized in the final minute for a slash, greatly hindering any chance Winnipeg had of a last-minute tying goal.
“Violent, deliberate. Could have broken his neck. It was one of the most vicious cross-checks I’ve seen this year,” said Vigneault, the Rangers head coach, as per Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun.
Jet's Dustin Byfuglien's crosscheck on JT Miller is being given extra examination by NHL Player Safety.
— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) April 1, 2015