TAMPA, Fla. — Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews on Tuesday defended his penalized cross-check on Nikita Kucherov that injured the Lightning forward late in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Kucherov left Monday’s game and did not have an on-ice celebration with his teammates after Tampa Bay’s 6-2 victory.
“He’s a good player and I’m trying to play him tight,” Toews said Tuesday after an optional practice at Amalie Arena. “Good players, you got to try to take away their time and space and that’s what I was trying to do. If he got hurt on it, it’s unfortunate. I’m not trying to hurt anyone out here. I’m just trying to play him tight and not let him have the time and space to make plays.”
