Bruins Defenseman Kevan Miller Spends Night In Hospital Following Nasty Hit In NHL Playoffs Game

The Stanley Cup Playoffs are truly a breed all their own. The intensity gets turned up tenfold compared to regular-season NHL hockey. One need not look any further than some of the massive hits and resulting injuries for proof.

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First, it was Toronto Maple Leafs star John Tavares in the news after he took a knee to the head and had to be stretchered off the ice. Turns out, Tavares wasn’t the only NHL player rushed to the hospital this week.

Be careful who you show this one to:

Scary scary stuff here.
Let's hope John Tavares is OK. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/OOtzg2tVK4

— For Future Considerations (@PodcastFFC) May 21, 2021

Friday night saw the Washington Capitals tangle with the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of what has been an extremely physical series. Bruins’ defenseman Kevan Miller took a brutal hit in the second period from Capitals’ defender Dimitry Orlov.

Once again, viewer discretion is advised:

Orlov leaves his skates to deliver a high hit to the head of Kevan Miller. Being assessed a major penalty which is under review pic.twitter.com/2nDPrcaOmk

— NHL Review (@nhl_review) May 21, 2021

Here’s another look of the hit in slow-motion:

Dmitry Orlov received a double minor for this hit on Kevan Miller. pic.twitter.com/BCovE4UgHw

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 22, 2021

Needless to say, big-time NHL Playoffs collisions aren’t reserved for taking place along the boards this year.

Following that high hit, Miller was tended to on the ice by the Bruins trainer and managed to skate off with some assistance. He was taken to a nearby hospital right away and wound up spending the night.

Bruins’ Kevan Miller transported to hospital for evaluation after high hit from Capitals’ Dmitry Orlov https://t.co/3SnUep8fcT pic.twitter.com/NYuNrk9JkP

— Boston.com (@BostonDotCom) May 22, 2021

Luckily, it seems as though Kevan Miller is recovering well. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy announced on Saturday that he was back home and resting following his overnight hospital stay.

That being said, he will not be available for Game 5 of the series slated for Sunday.

Bruce Cassidy shares Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller is out for Game 5 against the Capitals after taking a late hit from Dmitry Orlov.#KevanMiller | #NHLBruins | #StanleyCupPlayoffs | https://t.co/qFBBXwiFRL pic.twitter.com/hxEvqwhu53

— NESN (@NESN) May 22, 2021

So what happened to Dimitry Orlov after he delivered that blast? Well, he was originally given a major penalty on the ice, but upon video review, it was downgraded to a 2-minute minor. The NHL will not levy any sort of suspension or further disciplinary action against him for the hit.

But hey, sometimes those are the breaks. If physical hockey is your thing, I highly recommend tuning in for Bruins vs Capitals Game 5 on Sunday. After the Kevan Miller injury, there could be even more punishment doled out moving forward.

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