During the second period, Zadorov laid out Maple Leafs forward Scott Laughton with a massive hit along the boards. From there, Zadorov then dropped the gloves with Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann.

Pastrnak scored a power play goal just before Domi's penalty expired, giving the Bruins a 5-3 lead midway through the third.

Nikita Zadorov, a Russian defender of the Boston Bruins, became involved in a brawl in the National Hockey League (NHL) regular season match against the Toronto Maple Leafs on November 12, which broke out after his forceful reception against the opposing captain,

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews left Tuesday’s 5–3 loss to the Boston Bruins after a second-period hit from defenseman Nikita Zadorov sent him into the boards. Matthews exited shortly after the hit and did not return, with the Leafs ruling him out for the remainder of the game with a lower-body injury

Matthew Schaefer, Scott Laughton and Auston Matthews have been on the wrong side of Zadorov's shots already in 2025-26.

Max Domi wanted to fight and Nikita Zadorov understood why. But the Bruins defenseman wasn’t going to accept for a lot of reasons. For starters, they’re old friends. They were teammates and won an OHL Championship together for the London Knights 13 years ago.

Zadorov notched an assist, two blocked shots and nine PIM in Saturday's 3-2 win over the Canadiens.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews exited Tuesday’s 5–3 loss to the Boston Bruins after taking a heavy hit from defenseman Nikita Zadorov.

Jeremy Swayman stopped 26 shots for his fifth consecutive victory and the Boston Bruins overcame the loss of defenseman Charlie McAvoy to a mouth injury to beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in a heated game.

In the world of professional hockey, intimidation can often be as crucial as skill on the ice. This article explores how Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov, influenced by the legendary Zdeno Chara, employs physicality and psychological tactics to elevate his game and that of his teammates.