In Case You Missed It...

The image above is probably the most accurate way to depict Dustin Byfuglien when he has a player in his cross-hairs. Usually, the result is mass carnage and chaos as he hits with the momentum of a runaway freight train, and it was on display on Monday night when the Jets played the Oilers.

The victim? Luke Gazdic who, in his own right, is a tough hombre.

The problem? Mark Fayne's suicide pass to Gazdic with Byfuglien charging down the tracks. This one is ugly, kids, so be prepared for a wince or two.

That looked like it hurt a lot. Gazdic left the game immediately after that hit and did not return. Byfuglien continued to play as he and Ryan Hamilton seemed to develop a bit of a jousting match for the rest of the night possibly in response to Byfuglien sending Gazdic to the dressing room. In any case, Freight Train Byfuglien left another victim in his wake.

The Oilers returned home to play the Boston Bruins tonight, and Gazdic was not in the lineup. As you can see to the image to the right, it appears that Gazdic's head, neck, and face took the brunt of the fall after the hit on Monday. Thankfully, I am happy to report that Gazdic was not concussed on that play. His chin, however, was not so fortunate as it required eight stitches to close the wound that Byfuglien's hit left on him. Officially, the Oilers have him day-to-day, and that's always a good thing to hear when you see the image above.

There's a reason why they call passes like Fayne made "suicide passes". Fayne should have been screaming at Gazdic after making that pass to warn him about the oncoming train wreck, but it appears that he either did not warn Gazdic or Gazdic didn't hear him. Either way, the result was scary. Thankfully, Gazdic will be back to battle once more.

As for Byfuglien? Look both ways when crossing his tracks!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!