Gotta See It: It was a rare jolt of hard-hitting action in a game that lacked pace and precision. But it was also a heart-in-throat moment for Carolina Hurricanes fans.
In the second period, Toronto Maple Leafs 6’4”, 220-pound defenceman Mark Fraser comes backchecking with a head of steam and absolutely railroads Carolina Hurricanes talent Jeff Skinner, who stands 5’11 and weighs 200 pounds.
Skinner overskates the puck on a three-on-one rush toward the net and stops to re-gather the puck, when Fraser cleanly dumps him right on his rear end. The forward slides and crashes head-first into the boards.
Skinner probably fortunate he didn’t get hurt. Fraser sent him flying helmet-first into boards.
— Chip Alexander (@ice_chip) February 15, 2013
For a guy who missed weeks last season due to a concussion suffered in December 2011, the hit was a frightening one. But Skinner remained in the game and grabbed a pair of assists en route to the Canes’ 3-1 victory.
Fraser, an Ottawa native, has an impressive 34 hits in 11 games this season.