Even in late 2019, it’s a little bit odd to see Brandon Manning stand up for Connor McDavid. You know, after that.
The two have been Edmonton Oilers teammates for a while now, and Manning did just that on Tuesday, dropping the gloves with Barclay Goodrow of the San Jose Sharks after Tomas Hertl delivered a controversial neutral zone hit on McDavid.
You can watch Hertl’s hit, McDavid’s reaction, and the ensuing fight in the video above this post’s headline.
The early signs are that McDavid avoided an injury (at least one significant enough to make him miss immediate action), as he finished the game. McDavid logged four third-period shifts after that incident in the second period, so that’s a decent sign that the Oilers my have avoided the bullet of a lower-body injury.
Then again, he seemingly left in a hurry after the Sharks beat the Oilers 6-3, so we’ll see.
What do you think of Hertl’s hit, though? For what it’s worth, Hertl received a minor penalty for interference on the play.
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.