Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug might only be 5'9" and weight 186 pounds, but he made his presence known in a big way during the Bruins' Game 1 win over the Blues in the Stanley Cup Final.
Krug and Blues forward David Perron got tangled up in the Bruins' zone in the third period of Game 1, resulting in Krug losing his helmet and setting out on a path for revenge.
He wasn't able to get revenge on Perron, but he did find the next Blue in his path and absolutely level him.
Krug rushed almost the entire length of the ice and put a huge hit on Robert Thomas who was trying to make a play on the puck.
In real time it looked like it might have been a charge, and Krug had left his feet, but as the replays rolled again and again it looked more like a legal hit.
And the replays did roll again and again. You couldn't turn on a TV or look at social media without seeing Krug's hit.
Blues players had some amusing reactions to the hit the day afterwards.
"That was obviously a massive hit that got some attention, but we were physical," Ryan O'Reilly said. "That was one of the things we did well. I don't think it was too one-sided."
"Obviously it's the Stanley Cup Final, teams are playing hard and there's going to be big hits throughout the series and that's not something we really focus on," Tyler Bozak said.
Blues goalie Jordan Binnington, who's become known for his unpredictability during press conferences, had the quote of the off day with this gem describing what Krug said to him after the hit.
"It was more of a stare. His pupils were pretty big, I don't know if he's on something," Binnington said. "But he was pretty fired up. It was a big hit and a big play and the rink was loud, so it's a fun atmosphere to play in."
As O'Reilly alluded to, the physicality of Game 1 was pretty much even from a hits standpoint.
The Blues actually out-hit the Bruins 33 to 32.
Krug talked about the play before Game 2, and said how it's taken off online and on highlight shows has been amusing.
"It's taken off," Krug said. "It's pretty cool for sure. But eyes one the prize right now."
Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy also talked about the play on Wednesday, saying it looked like a clean hit.
"I thought it was a bit of a wrestling match at one end which they let it go, which I agreed with," Cassidy said. "Then he came up ice and stayed in the play, and a hit basically presented itself. It just ends up being one of those moments that people are talking about."
Blues' coach Craig Berube did say Thomas will not play in Game 2, but said it was not related to the hit from Krug.