VIDEO: Kronwall lays out Kucherov with thunderous hit, being reviewed by NHL
The hits keep on coming.
In the same game in which Justin Abdelkader caught Cedric Paquette with a gigantic body check, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall absolutely leveled Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov with a massive boom of his own.
Kucherov left the ice and went to the locker room for evaluation and was able to return for the third period, while there's some question as to the legality of the hit.
As such, the NHL's Department of Player Safety is already taking a close look at the hit, according to Damien Cox of Sportsnet.
After the game, Kucherov said he was fine and appeared ready to move on.
Kucherov said he is okay after Kronwall hit, didn't call it dirty: "It's a hit, I'm not going to cry now. It's part of the game."
— Joe Smith (@TBTimes_JSmith) April 28, 2015
For his part, Kronwall didn't think his actions were egregious.