Line brawl erupts after Laine leveled by McCabe
Things got heated in Buffalo on Saturday afternoon.
With the score tied 3-3 midway through the third period, the Sabres and Winnipeg Jets got into a line brawl after Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe caught Patrik Laine with a devastating open-ice hit.
Laine was helped off the ice by trainers, and was wobbly on his way to the dressing room, according to NHL.com's Joe Yerdon. He didn't return to the game, which Winnipeg lost 4-3, and head coach Paul Maurice offered no update on his star rookie's condition.
Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice on Patrik Laine: "No update. I don’t have a problem with the hit. They hit heads. It was a straight-on hit."
— Amy Moritz (@amymoritz) January 7, 2017
Laine was spotted walking out of KeyBank Center and to the team bus after the game, according to the Winnipeg Sun's Ken Wiebe.
Jets forward Mark Scheifele immediately took exception to the hit, dropping his gloves to deliver multiple punches to McCabe.
Maurice said he's ok with Scheifele reacting how he did. Said it's an emotional reaction you want to see from a teammate.
— Joe Yerdon (@JoeYerdon) January 7, 2017
In all the chaos, Scheifele received the only penalty on the play - a two-minute roughing minor.