Leafs defenseman absolutely lays out Blue Jackets forward in open ice
The Leafs were back in action Friday night after a lengthy all-star break. One might expect a little bit of rink rust after such a long layoff, most players use the break to take vacations and it can take a game or two to get back up to speed. It appears Rasmus Sandin didn't get the memo. He took to the ice with purpose in this one.
During the first period, Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson tried to cross the Leafs blue line with the puck. He made a crucial mistake cutting towards the middle of the ice. Instead of finding himself some open space to work with, he found himself lying on his back wondering where his glove had gone as Sandin levelled him with a huge hit.
It was a textbook open ice hit. Elbow down, skates on the ice, no head contact to speak of. Which made it a bit of a surprise when Cole Sillinger decided to go after Sandin for the hit. The young Leafs defender got the last laugh, however, Sillinger took a dumb penalty on the play for slashing Sandin in the shin pad.
Sandin's stock will only continue to rise if he keeps throwing the body like this. A more physical presence on the blue line has been sorely needed on this team for a long, long time.
