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Bruins upset over ‘blindside hit’ by Flyers’ Tom Sestito on Nathan Horton (Video)

Greg Wyshynski

Nathan Horton didn't take a shift after the second period in the Boston Bruins' 6-5 shootout win at the Philadelphia Flyers. He was held out of the game by physicians after taking a hit from Tom Sestito of the Philadelphia Flyers in the second period -- a hit the Bruins claim was a blindside check that injured his head.

Here's a video of the hit and the aftermath (best available quality for now):

Here's the hit within a compilation of hits in this brutal game (about 24 seconds in):

Sestito's check came after Horton had released the puck. Horton popped up after the check and earned a 2-minute minor that led to a Scott Hartnell power-play goal, which tied the game 2-2. Horton would play five more shifts in the game, but was held out after that.

Bruins Coach Claude Julien called it a "blindside hit," telling NESN:

"He was kept out for the obvious [reasons]," Bruins coach Claude Julien said after the game. "It was kind of a head injury. He's just being reevaluated right now. That's basically all we know and that's as far as we've gone with the evaluation."

"Horton" and "head injury" are nothing the Bruins want to hear in close proximity, with Nathan Horton having suffered a concussion on an Aaron Rome check last June that knocked him out of the Stanley Cup Final (literally).

Sestito was previously suspended in the preseason for two exhibition games and two regular season games for checking Andre Deveaux of the New York Rangers from behind.

More Julien from CSN New England:

"Obviously he got up and took a penalty, but we looked at the replay. When he's been through what he went through last year and it was a blindside hit, I don't blame him for doing his job," said Julien. "If I was in his shoes I probably would have done the same thing. That's our team. We take care of our own stuff. You saw that a couple of times with Kelly getting run over, and getting stood up for by [Thornton].

Chris Kelly was hit with a check from Hartnell that didn't target the head; Hartnell was jumped by Shawn Thornton. Thornton was given a double-minor; Hartnell was given a minor for charging.