Tampa Bay Lightning forward Cedric Paquette made the very unfortunate decision to confront Zdeno Chara during the third period of Tuesday’s game in Boston, shoving the gigantic Bruins defenseman shortly after a whistle. Chara, who was already being called for a penalty, was not pleased with Paquette’s shove and decided to deliver a couple of heavy blows in response. Chara’s first act of retaliation was a cross check to the gut, followed by a haymaker to Paquette’s face, which dropped the Lightning player like a sack of bricks.
The exchange landed Chara with an additional four minutes (six in total) of penalty time, while Paquette received two for roughing.
Update: Paquette must have a death wish, as he once again tried to mix it up with Chara in the game’s final seconds. Watch as he throws a punch, then immediately flees & turtles.