Paul Maurice not happy about Matthew Tkachuk's hit on Mark Scheifele: 'It was intentional'
The Winnipeg Jets very well could be without star forward Mark Scheifele for the remainder of the team's round-robin series against the Calgary Flames, and it's all thanks to Matthew Tkachuk.
In the first period of Saturday's match between the Jets and Flames, Tkachuk clipped Scheifele's leg with his right skate, causing him to hit the boards awkwardly. Scheifele fell in immense pain as a result, was helped off the ice by trainers and was unable to return to the game.
After the incident occurred, Blake Wheeler fought Tkachuk.
Jets head coach Paul Maurice was livid that Tkachuk didn't receive a penalty, and he sounded off on the Flames forward for making what he claims to be an intentional, dirty play, per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski:
"It was intentional. It was a filthy, dirty kick to the back of the leg. You can't see it on the program [camera] feed, but you take the blue-line feed and you zoom in. He went after the back of his leg. Could have cut his Achilles [tendon]. Could have ended the man's career. It's an absolutely filthy, disgusting hit."
Tkachuk, naturally, said it was an accident and that there was no malicious intent behind the hit.
Scheifele played just under three minutes before being injured. Patrik Laine also left the game after being slashed on the hand, and both players will be evaluated on Sunday.
The Jets fell to the Flames 4-1, but they'll have another opportunity to show what they're made of in Game 2 on Monday.
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