Dan Girardi Flattens Matt Calvert With Shoulder-To-Shoulder Check

For a brief moment in yesterday’s Blue Jackets-Lightning third period, veteran Tampa defenseman Dan Girardi brought back a lost art. As Columbus’s Matt Calvert focused on bringing the puck into the offensive zone, Girardi laid him out in the middle of the ice, delivering a clean shoulder check with enough power to knock both players off their feet.

Revenge-minded Penguins fans will see that hit as rightful comeuppance for Calvert after he broke his stick on the back of an unsuspecting Tom Kuhnhackl in last season’s playoffs. But those without grudges will still see a rare, perfect hit.