Ilya Protas returns from a blindside hit, injury scare against Laval: 'I was a little worried this would be another guy who may be out for a while'. The Hershey Bears faced a tough defeat at the hands of the Laval Rocket, losing 6-1 in their first game back from the AHL All-Star break. The game took a turn for the worse when Protas, one of the team's top players, was nearly injured. During a play in the second period, Protas was collecting a loose puck in neutral zone when Rocket forward Tyler Thorpe approached from his blind side, attempting to send him hard into the boards. Despite Protas' efforts to sidestep the impact, Thorpe's left leg connected hard, sending him tumbling to the ice. The hit was so intense that it prompted the immediate attention of the Bears' head athletic trainer, Shawn Fliszar. Protas eventually got up under his own power, but as he made his way off the ice to the locker room, he stopped and began yelling at the Rocket bench. The Bears were relieved when Protas returned in the third period, after many feared the worst, including head coach Derek King. 'Well, he was having a game,' King said. 'I thought he played well, he had control of the play, he was making things happen. I was a little worried about maybe if this would be another guy who may be out for a while, but he battled back, and it was good to see him finish the game.' However, the game was not without controversy. Earlier in the night, Thorpe got into a fight with Bears defenseman David Gucciardi. Protas wasn't the only Capitals prospect targeted by the Rocket. Andrew Cristall, the team's leading scorer, also absorbed several cheap shots and hits throughout the night. The Rocket's play eventually caused the game to get out of control in the third period, resulting in 96 penalty minutes doled out between both teams. Five different Hershey Bears players received misconducts, including Ivan Miroshnichenko, Louie Belpedio, Grant Cruikshank, and Dalton Smith. Bears forward Justin Nachbaur was also tossed 2:40 into the third period due to physical abuse of officials. The AHL announced that Nachbaur was suspended for three games for the incident. The Bears' next game is Saturday night as they take on the Belleville Senators as part of a four-game road trip in Canada.
