Watch: Rangers’ Chris Kreider Takes Off Cody Eakin’s Helmet, Uses It As Weapon In 7-6 Loss To Stars

In December, Dallas Stars center Cody Eakin laid a brutal hit to the head of New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. On Tuesday night, Eakin got a taste of the Rangers’ revenge.

Watch: Rangers’ Chris Kreider Takes Off Cody Eakin’s Helmet, Uses It As Weapon

Early in the second period of the game between the two teams at Madison Square Garden, Eakin and the Rangers’ Chris Kreider dropped their gloves and began fighting.

It appeared the scrum began after Kreider pushed Eakin against the boards and the Stars center decided to respond. Struggling to land blows on Eakin, Kreider eventually did something rarely seen in an NHL fight: he took off Eakin’s helmet and used it to strike him repeatedly.

The crowd became very excited, and from this angle, it seems clear why:

Eakin was suspended four games for his hit on Lundqvist last month, so many will likely wonder whether Kreider will receive similar punishment for his behavior on Tuesday.

Kreider and Eakin were both assessed five-minute majors for fighting, although Kreider was somehow allowed to remain in the game.

SBNation’s Pat Iversen noted that Kreider should have been ejected for hitting Eakin with a piece of his equipment, a violation of Rule 53.

This isn’t the first time officials have missed such a call. In 2014, the Florida Panthers’ Willie Mitchell did the same thing and went unpunished.

NHL Player Safety later fined Kreider $5,000 for his helmet hit:

“That’s not something you forget about,” said the Rangers winger about Eakin’s hit on Lundqvist. “I’m sure someone will have a conversation with him.”

Kreider himself, however, has also gained a reputation for crashing into goalies, the way he did Tuesday with the Stars’ Antti Niemi: 

The Stars (19-19-8) eventually won the game 7-6. They will next visit the Islanders on Thursday night, when the Rangers (28-16-1) visit Toronto.

NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 17: Chris Kreider #20 of the New York Rangers fights with Cody Eakin #20 of the Dallas Stars at Madison Square Garden on January 17, 2017 in New York City. The Stars defeated the Rangers 7-6. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Article by Pablo Mena