Rasmus Andersson with a dirty hit on Patrik Laine at the buzzer
#Flames | #CBJ
#Flames defender Rasmus Andersson was given a major penalty for elbowing after this hit on #CBJ ’s Patrik Laine.
Patrik Laine injured by senseless Rasmus Andersson hit in dying seconds of #CBJ 3-1 win over #Flames
Blue Jackets see signs of improvement after tough week of practice.
The lingering memory from the Blue Jackets’ 3-1 win over Calgary on Friday took place with less than 10 seconds remaining, when the result was no longer in doubt.
Calgary defenseman Rasmus Andersson left his skates to deliver an elbow-first blow to the head of Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine a half-second after Laine released a shot from the blue line. Laine tumbled face down on the ice as all hell broke loose.
Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson jumped Andersson from behind and bloodied him, just as the other Blue Jackets and Flames on the ice grabbed ahold of dance partners to see where this might be headed. Twenty years ago, it would have been a melee.
“I see a hit to the head and (Andersson) lifting his feet,” Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent said. “I saw the replay. That’s illegal in my book. So we’ll let the NHL deal with it.”
Andersson was given a five-minute major for elbowing at the final buzzer, and there could be further fallout from the NHL on Saturday, in the form of a fine or a suspension.
But the immediate punishment was enforced by Gudbranson, Andersson’s former teammate with Calgary.
“We’re a pack here and we protect each other,” Vincent said. “The hit was on Patty, but it could have been on anyone. That’s how we’re going to respond. That’s what a team looks like.”
Laine remained face down on the ice for a few seconds after the hit, then headed to the dressing room under his own power, hurling his helmet down the tunnel ahead of him.
The Blue Jackets flew after the game to Minnesota for a Saturday game against the Wild, but there was not an immediate update available on Laine. It was unclear if he would be able to travel with the club.
It was an explosive end to an otherwise good night for the Blue Jackets, who have spent the early days of the season in a chaotic swirl, adjusting to a new coach, a new system, several new faces in the lineup and constantly changing lines and pairs.
There were more moves Friday, too.
Defenseman Zach Werenski, who was injured in the opener, was activated from injured reserve, forcing a roster move the Blue Jackets have long tried to avoid. Winger Liam Foudy, the club’s first-round pick in 2018 (No. 18), was placed on waivers and will be sent to AHL Cleveland if he clears Saturday.
