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The New Jersey Devils already weren’t fans of Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas, considering how unhappy they were about a hit on Kyle Palmieri (with Travis Zajac surprisingly dolling out justice in a fight).
That bitterness may only climb after Tuesday, as Taylor Hall has yet to return after an enormous hit by Gudas. The check was delivered while Hall was in the process of scoring a goal, his 22nd of the season. Gudas actually scored a goal of his own in this game, his second of 2017-18.
Gudas was not penalized for the check; do you think that hit deserves special attention from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety?
We’ll have to wait and see if Hall comes back to this game. The Flyers entered the third period with a 4-3 lead, so it’s possible that their winning streak may continue while the Devils’ struggles might persist.
Update: While it’s important to remember that sometimes players briefly return to games only to miss time later, this is a great early sign for a Devils team that is already dealing with Cory Schneider’s absence.
Taylor Hall is back for the third period. Devils breathe a HUGE sigh of relief.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) February 14, 2018
Not only did Taylor Hall return, he ended up scoring another goal in this game, helping the Devils pull off a 5-4 shootout win. Wow.
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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.