Rangers Captain Jacob Trouba Throws Massive, Controversial Hit (Again)

We all know that New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba isn't afraid to make a hit if he needs to — and even sometimes when he doesn't — and he did just that on Tuesday night with a massive check on Montreal Canadiens defenseman Justin Barron.

However, it ignited a debate over whether or not it was a clean check.

The Rangers visited the Canadiens on a full night of NHL hockey with all 32 in action (how wonderful was that, by the way? It was like Christmas and several birthdays rolled into one) and this one was all Rangers.

The Blueshirts opened the scoring early and potted four in the first period alone to win 7-2.

However, what got people talking was Trouba's hit on Barron in the third period with the Rangers up 5-2.

Barron rushed up the left boards and entered the Rangers zone. At that point, I suspect he got a sense that a freight train named Jacob Trouba was headed straight for him, and he tried to dish the puck to someone — anyone — in a red jersey.

But it was too late. Trouba made contact and nearly sent him through the Bell Centre ice.

No doubt about it: that was a big hit and afterward Barron's defense partner Mike Matheson grabbed Trouba and had him answer for it.

Unfortunately, Barron appeared woozy afterward and had to leave the game, but there was no penalty on the play.

However, that didn't mean that there wasn't some debate over whether or not it was a clean check.

According to Sportsnet, Habs head coach Martin St. Louis believed that the principal point of contact was the head, but I'm not so sure. I think it was a clean — albeit bone-crushing — hit.

Trouba has a history of getting his elbow involved, but I don't think that was the case here at all. It looked to me like an incredibly hard, shoulder-to-chest hit on a guy who had his head down.

If you asked Barron about this play, he would admit that his mistake was dropping his head. You're told not to do that starting in peewee hockey, and that's why.

You can't do that with a guy like Trouba on the ice because he'll make you pay for it, and unfortunately, that's what happened to Barron.