Former Canucks player gives honest take on Jacob Trouba’s controversial hit on Evan Rodrigues

New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba has been the center of controversy following the massive hit he laid on Florida Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues. The play occurred late in the second period of Game 3.

Trouba was assessed a two-minute minor for the hit on Rodrigues. While the Panthers’ bench called for at least a major penalty, officials only issued a minor penalty on the ice.

The controversy surrounding Trouba’s hit prompted former Vancouver Canucks player and NHL analyst Kevin Bieksa to express his take on the play.

During the second intermission, Bieksa discussed Jacob Trouba’s hit and penalty call with the panel in the Sportsnet studio, saying:

"First of all, I don’t think it’s an elbow. I think guys hit like this with their forearms. If you get the guy in the head, you’re forearming. Yeah, but hit like this. That’s just a way of using a strong part of your body, so he’s not trying to elbow him; he’s trying to hit his body with the forearm."

Bieksa also believes the way the play developed made it look like Jacob Trouba caught Rodrigues on the head. He added:

"I think he grazes the shoulder because Evan Rodrigues is hunched over. That’s why he kind of gets shoulder and then head. I still see a little bit of shoulder impact on his jersey, and then it’s like your jaw, like the neckline, right? I mean, he gets him, yeah, but that’s why he gets a two-minute penalty."

While Bieksa didn’t criticize the play, he did say this about the overall call:

"Although, it should have been a five."

The call on the ice was a two-minute minor. It remains to be seen if the Department of Player Safety will review the play after the game.

Jacob Trouba’s significance to the Rangers

So far this postseason, Jacob Trouba’s impact has been felt on both ends of the ice. He’s registered one goal and four assists in 13 playoff contests, including Sunday’s Game 3.

Trouba has averaged over 22 games a night for New York while registering a plus-3 rating. His physical play adds another dimension to the Rangers’ overall game plan.

The Athletic questioned Trouba’s performance during the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes, commenting:

"The Rangers need the player who was designed to be one of their top guys to play like it. Not only does he need to stabilize his game, he needs to be ready to step up to cover for others."

Against the Panthers, Trouba has done his part, as the Rangers hold a 2-1 series lead.