With the Washington Capitals on a late second-period power play, defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk tried a dangerous pass. Shatty, while executing a 360-degree spin at the point, sent a blind, no-look pass to the center of the ice. The puck was immediately intercepted by Jannik Hansen.
Shattenkirk more than made up for the turnover.
As Hansen, playing in his first game as a Shark, raced up the ice, he only had one player left to beat: Shattenkirk. Hansen tried to cut to the middle of the ice and stickhandle around the veteran defenseman. Instead Hansen was destroyed by a vicious hip-check.
Shattenkirk timed the hit perfectly, nailing Hansen in the right hip.
Hansen flew into the air before crashing to the ice.
From Peter’s recap early this morning:
If Kevin Shattenkirk got hand tattoos, I’m not sure I could tell the difference between him and Mike Green. Shat fits in great already — his blistering assist on Brett Connolly’s goal as compelling proof. That’s assists in three straight, and how about this hip check?!
It was fantastic. Four games into his tenure with Washington, Shattenkirk has already proven that there’s nothing he can’t do.
