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New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba delivered a massive hit on New Jersey the Devils' Nathan Bastian, prompting both players to drop the gloves during Thursday's showdown of the Hudson River rivalry.
Three minutes into the second period, Bastian was skating toward the Blue Shirts' net while having possession. Trouba rushed toward Bastian and took the Devils winger down with a massive hit near the left faceoff circle.
Moments after that, when the Blue Shirts got back into possession and advanced closer to the Devils' net, Trouba and Bastian engaged in an altercation near the center of the ice.
Both players grappled and went down at the same time, resulting in the linesmen intervening. Both players were assessed a five-minute major penalty for fighting.
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Here's how fans reacted to Jacob Trouba's massive hit on Nathan Bastian. One fan tweeted:
"Clean hit and smart play knowing the player would initiate a fight causing a penalty"
Another chimed in:
"Trouba is the dirtiest player in the league"
Here are some of the other top reactions on X:
Jacob Trouba and New York Rangers beat New Jersey Devils to extend winning streak
On Thursday, the New Jersey Devils hosted the New York Rangers at Prudential Center. The Blue Shirts outscored the hosts 5-1 to extend their winning streak to nine games.
Alexis Lafreniere netted twice while Vincent Trochek had a goal and assist on the night. Furthermore, Artemi Panarin continued his impressive form, accumulating three assists in the contest.
Goaltender Igor Shesterkin was solid between the pipes, ending the night with an impressive 39 saves. Meanwhile, Jack Hughes was the lone scorer for the Devils, with Nico Daws making 13 saves.
Notably, the New York Rangers have outscored their opponents 39-18 during their impressive winning run.
With two points on the night, the Rangers remain first in the Metro Division and moved to second place in the overall league standings (79 points), sitting just one point behind the leaders, the Vancouver Canucks.
Jacob Trouba and the Rangers travel to Wells Fargo Center to face the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
