Nikita Zadorov sucker punches Alex Vlasic in Bruins brawl

It started with Casey Mittelstadt, which is not a sentence anybody expected to type on Halloween.

Conor Ryan

@ConorRyan_93

Noted agitator Casey Mittelstadt gets into a scrap with Alex Vlasic.

That one is a joke. Mittelstadt is not known as an agitator. According to NESN's live blog, he laid a legal hit on Vlasic at the Boston blue line with the game tied 2-2 in the 2nd period. Vlasic didn't like it and chased him into the neutral zone to start something. That part is just hockey, and Chicago fans have been begging to see that kind of edge out of their big defenseman. Then Zadorov showed up.

Per NESN, Zadorov dropped his gloves and went at Vlasic from behind while the officials were already trying to pull him off. The Blackhawks beat didn't hold back about what they saw.

Mark Lazerus

@MarkLazerus

That's a dirtbag move from Nikita Zadorov.

When the refs sorted it out, Zadorov had a double minor for roughing plus a 10-minute misconduct. Vlasic also took a double minor. So the guy who threw the cheap shot sat for 10 minutes, and the team on the wrong end of it got nothing on the scoreboard.

Ben Pope

@BenPopeCST

Nikita Zadorov received a 10-minute misconduct for this sucker punch, but the Blackhawks didn't get a power play from it: t.co/fuqXZP0cFQ

Ben Pope's read on the math is that Vlasic was in line for the extra minor for going after Mittelstadt, and Zadorov's punch simply evened out the penalties. That's a nice deal for Boston. NESN even had the Bruins on a 5-on-4 late in the period. Pope's own verdict was that Zadorov's shot was more egregious than anything Vlasic did, and it's hard to argue with him. Spittin' Chicklets, for their part, went with the all-caps version.

Spittin' Chiclets

@spittinchiclets

ZADOROV WOKE UP AND CHOSE VIOLENCE TODAY 👊

This isn't a one-off for Zadorov this month. Marco Sturm scratched him for a game against the Kings in mid-October over discipline. The night before, Zadorov took a 4-minute double minor for elbowing and roughing against Anaheim, knocking Frank Vatrano down a second time after the first call. Afterward, the 6-foot-7 defenseman told the Boston Globe he felt disgusted about it. 12 days later he's in the box for 10 minutes for hitting a guy from behind in a pile.

Next up is whether the Department of Player Safety takes a look. A punch on a player who's already tied up and being separated by officials is the kind of play that gets a review. Boston also has to decide again how much of Zadorov's edge is worth the penalties. On the Chicago side, Vlasic answered a hit and stood up for himself, and he was still jawing on his way off the ice. Hawks fans will take that part.