This time of year, there’s a lot of risk involved when a player attempts a big hit, yet bone-shattering checks tend to be that much more memorable when they happen in the playoffs (see: Scott Stevens on many victims).
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman’s Niklas Hjalmarsson’s hit on St. Louis Blues forward David Backes probably won’t live on like Stevens obliterating Paul Kariya and Eric Lindros, but it was still impressive. Besides, it’s also one of those instances in which the “predator” becomes the “prey":