Video: Evander Kane KO's Cooke, becomes beloved in Boston
It was hoped that when the Boston and Pittsburgh met for the first time after Matt Cooke's(notes) headshot on Marc Savard(notes), the Penguins' pest would leave TD Garden battered, bloodied and bruised. Shawn Thornton(notes) tried his best in a first period scrap, but Cooke would get away with barely a scratch as Pittsburgh shutout the Bruins 3-0.
A little over three weeks since that outcome disappointed every single Bruins fan, Atlanta Thrashers forward Evander Kane(notes) ensured a standing ovation for himself next time he plays in Boston after his one-punch knockout of Cooke during their game against the Penguins tonight:
As The 6th Sens pointed out on Twitter, Kane likely made Marc Savard's Christmas card list for doing what none of his teammates was able to do.
Luckily for Cooke, the fact that Kane held on to his jersey as he fell saved him from having his head bounce off the ice and incurring any further damage. Cooke is being held out for the rest of the game for precautionary reasons.
s/t to Kukla for the video
