There was a great deal of sympathy for concussed Bruins centre Marc Savard emanating from the Maple Leafs, and a general feeling that head shots like the one Savard suffered Sunday in Pittsburgh ought to be eliminated from the game.

But, says hard-hitting defenceman Dion Phaneuf, not at the expense of reducing contact.

"If a guy is coming through the middle of the ice and you hit him with your shoulder, that's a clean hit," said Phaneuf. "You can't take hitting out of the game of hockey. Contact is still a big part of this game. If a guy's coming though the middle and he's got his head down, that leaves him vulnerable to be hit. If it's a clean hit, with your shoulder to him with his head down, that's part of the game of hockey."