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GOTTA SEE IT: Connor McDavid Gets Rough Treatment from Zadorov, Soucy

Originally posted on Calgary Hockey Now
By Trevor Neufeld | Last updated 5/13/24

It was a rough night for Connor McDavid.

While Flames fans may be separated for almost a month from watching the Flames take to the ice, there is certainly still plenty of hockey worth watching.

Most notably, the Edmonton Oilers are facing off against a Vancouver Canucks team that features a bottom-four on defense that all tops 6’2″ and 210lbs.

The notion that such a blueline would bully Edmonton’s elite talent came to the fore on Sunday night as the final buzzer concluded game three of their second round series. Nikita Zadorov and Carson Soucy gave Oilers star Connor McDavid the old one-two.

Good old schadenfreude. May it never come back to bite Flames fans when it matters most.

Slo-mo replay of the double whammy McDavid received from Zadorov & Soucy at the end of Game 3 pic.twitter.com/NKFQLT0fxf

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 13, 2024

Ouch. Tape an aspirin to it, Connor.

That wasn’t the only highlight of physical play from former Flame Nikita Zadorov. Watch as he sends Evander Kane over the Oilers bench.

Zadorov just gave Evander Kane a MASSIVE benching pic.twitter.com/1pkeoQJs5G

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) May 13, 2024

The Calgary Flames traded Nikita Zadorov to the Vancouver Canucks for a fifth-round pick in 2024 and a third-round pick in 2026 on Nov. 30 this season. The 6-foot-6, 248-pound defenceman had 14 goals the season prior and played a heavy physical role in a depth position.

The Moscow product has four goals and three assists for seven points in nine playoff games this postseason. He ranks sixth in hits over that time with 30 and has accumulated a team-leading 14 penalty minutes and a +3 even strength goal differential.

Zadorov is due to hit the unrestricted free agency market on July 1st and is currently making a case for a hefty payday.

This article first appeared on Calgary Hockey Now and was syndicated with permission.

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