With 132 hits during the regular season, Ottawa Senators defenseman Dion Phaneuf isn’t shy about getting physical. Still, it feels like we rarely use his last name as a verb for a big hit these days.
(Remember when getting “Phaneuf’d” was just about as common as being “Kronwalled?” Ah, things that some of us are nostalgic about and others would like to forget.)
The Pittsburgh Penguins are being aggressive in hoping of breaking through against the Senators defense in Game 2, getting some nice chances. Still, that pace can bring about some danger, as Bryan Rust found out when he got Phaneuf’d early in the first period.
Rust left for the locker room after that hard check.
No penalty was called on the play, but the check is inspiring quite a bit of debate right now.