Jets star Scheifele gets crushed on hit of the year candidate

Mark Scheifele is in the midst of a career season, but on Saturday he had the lowlight his year in the form of a bone-crunching hit from Nikita Zadorov of the Colorado Avalanche.

The 6’4″ defenceman absolutely crushed the Winnipeg Jets top centre with a clean, shoulder-to-chest hit midway through the third period, a definite candidate for hit of the year.

Tempers flared on both sides after the collision, and Jets defenceman Jacob Trouba took particular exception to what looked to be a clean hit. Zadorov received a two-minute minor for charging despite not leaving his feet.

Zadorov also imposed his massive frame on Scheifele in the first period, setting the tone for the feisty affair.

It’s not the first time a Jets star forward has been laid out with a monstrous hit this year.

Rookie sensation Patrik Laine missed eight games with a concussion after getting plastered on another clean hit by Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe on January 7.

Colorado not only won the physical battle Saturday, but ended up ending their four-game losing streak with a big 5-2 win.