Canadiens player Jake Evans was forced to leave the ice on a stretcher Wednesday after a violent hit ... and his teammates are now calling the play both "dirty" and "disgusting."
The incident all went down late in the third period of Game 1 of Montreal's playoff series with Winnipeg ... when Evans scored a wraparound, empty-net goal.
Mark Scheifele tossed for flattening Jake Evans after he scores on the empty net. pic.twitter.com/kE6nU3vDCD
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) June 3, 2021
Immediately after the puck crossed the red line, though, he was demolished by Jets player Mark Scheifele ... and Evans hit the ice HARD.
You can see in footage of the play, Evans landed face first ... and laid motionless on the ice while Canadiens players raced in to defend him.
What do you think the penalty should be for Scheifele after that scary hit on Montreal's Jake Evans?
— Hockey Night in Canada (@hockeynight) June 3, 2021
🎥: @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/wami9EQUfZ
While Montreal coach Dominique Ducharme said Evans did NOT need a trip to the hospital, Ducharme did say Evans still needed to undergo further evaluation after the Canadians' 5-3 win.
And, Evans' teammates were NOT happy about any of it ... even though Scheifele was hit with a penalty and ejected.
Forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi told reporters after the game the hit was "disgusting" ... while defenseman Joel Edmundson called it a "dirty" move.
Joel Edmundson comments on Mark Scheifele's hit on Jake Evans. pic.twitter.com/kPn3vu0DMf
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) June 3, 2021
"If he gets back in the series," Edmundson said of Scheifele, "we're going to make his life miserable."
Game 2 of the series kicks off in Winnipeg on Friday night.