It was a scary moment in Game 1 of the North Division series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens. Just over halfway through the opening period, John Tavares was knocked off balance on a clean hit by Ben Chiarot. Tavares fell to the ice and was contacted in the head by Corey Perry’s knee as he was falling in an unavoidable play.
Play was halted, and Tavares was immediately attended to by medical staff from both teams before being stretchered off the ice. The Leafs’ bench cleared to attend their captain while medical aid was being administered.