In Saturday’s win over the New York Rangers, the Philadelphia Flyers lost stalwart defenseman Nick Schultz.
Schultz was steamrolled by 6-foot-5 defenseman Dylan McIlrath, who caught Schultz off-guard along the boards in what was a brutal, but clean hit.
Schultz left the game after the first period check and at the start of the second, the team announced that he wouldn’t return to the game.
The hit prompted Philadelphia’s Luke Schenn to drop the gloves with McIlrath, getting his team going a bit.
Take a look at the hit and the battle below.
There was some speculation after the hit that Schultz may have a concussion due to some observed wobbliness, but the team offered no update on his status after the game.
The win helped Philadelphia get their first back-to-back wins since October 21 and 24. It’s also their first win at Madison Square Garden since February 20, 2011.
McIlrath drew into the lineup, as he has before, because the team made veteran Dan Boyle a healthy scratch. He’s drawn into five games this season, averaging 13:25 of playing time when he’s in the lineup. He’s played eight games in his career, spread over three seasons. He’s still looking for his first career point.
RELATED: Flyers Offense: Fail