Jacob Trouba's hit was clean, Justin Barron must be more aware

I know Jacob Trouba doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt after his many questionable hits to the head. He likes sticking out his elbow and finishing an open-ice hit on an opponent, which people will never respect. However, that doesn't mean he can't throw a clean, punishing, open-ice hit for the rest of his career without it being dirty. Trouba's hit on Justin Barron on Tuesday night was clean, and Barron must be more aware when he's on the ice against a player like Trouba.

Barron tried to carry the puck up the ice in the third period of a blowout. He likely thought he could gain entry to the offensive zone without much resistance, considering the score, as games typically become a game of waiting for the clock to run out without getting hurt when there's a lopsided score. What Barron should have accounted for is that the defenseman he was attacking open-ice on was Trouba, and he doesn't care about the time or the score. Barron ducked his head at the last second, and Trouba popped him with a shoulder to the chest.

Was there some head contact? Yes, but it was because Barron ducked his head. The principal point of contact was Trouba's shoulder into Barron's chest, which would've been the case if Barron had been more aware. I'm not saying the hit wouldn't have hurt if he didn't lower his head, but it wouldn't have been as ugly as the result. Barron looked dazed on the ice, failed to get up the first couple of times, and went immediately to the dressing room. There was no update after the game or the following day, but it's safe to assume the training staff checked him for a concussion.

At the risk of piling on, Barron's lack of awareness of this play is a microcosm of a more significant issue. He lacks awareness all over the ice, and that was on display on a couple of Rangers goals on Tuesday night. The offensive game is one of Barron's strengths, but he sometimes needs to catch up in the defensive zone. The Canadiens moved defensemen out this offseason to give him a full-time spot in the lineup, but he has yet to seize that moment. Luckily for Barron, the rest of the blue line isn't playing well either, so he may not lose his spot if he has to miss any time from this hit. However, there will have to be a discussion about him in the future.