Nikita Zadorov Ends Bruins OT Win, Sprints Off Like He Had A Flight To Catch

While I love watching them because they pull me out of the throes of hockey withdrawal, I can understand why a lot of NHL players aren't huge fans of preseason games. I mean, the NHL and NHLPA agreed to reduce the length of the preseason and tack those games onto the regular season.

That said, I've never seen a player as eager to get home after a preseason game as Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov.

The B's took a quick trip down to Manhattan to take on the New York Rangers in a matchup of two teams that desperately need to turn things around after a disappointing 2024-25 campaign.

This one was locked at 4-4 after regulation, and this was after the Rangers blew a 4-1 lead.

In the extra frame, Zadorov called game, then he quickly ran off to the showers.

First, what an individual effort to create some space for himself and take a second go at it after falling to a solid backcheck the first time around.

Then that walk-off cell? I can see some people thinking it's distasteful, but I loved it.

It's like an anti-celebration in that there was no celebration, but that was the celebration. Does that make sense? It's like how the "Man with No Name" ironically has a name, and it's the "Man with No Name."

 We saw Matthew Tkachuk of the Florida Panthers do something kind of similar in Carolina, but that was after a couple of marathon games in the Eastern Conference Final.

This was just a preseason game in September, and Zadorov probably just wanted to hit the road and high-tail it back to Beantown.

I respect that. There's nothing I can relate to more than the desire to go home when you're out somewhere.

As I mentioned, last year was so rough for both of these teams that, despite coming into the year as shoo-ins to make the playoffs, they both turned into sellers by the trade deadline, with both even shipping their captains out of town.

There's really not much of an option to go anywhere but up for these two Original Six franchises.