Chris Kunitz crosschecks P.K. Subban following non-call on earlier hit

Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals has already been chippy with plenty of big hits to go around, but Chris Kunitz took it a step too far with his hit on P.K. Subban.

The Stanley Cup Finals between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Nashville Predators have already had plenty of big hits and bad penalties throughout the first two games, and that won’t be changing anytime soon based on some of the hits in the first period of Game 2.

Early in the first period, the Predators got away with a bit of a cheap shot, as Matt Irwin checked Matt Cullen right on the numbers into the boards and didn’t receive a penalty for the hit.

Penguins players and fans alike weren’t happy with the non-call, and Penguins forward Chris Kunitz may have went for some retaliation later on.

Kunitz took matters into his own hands halfway through the first period on Predators defenseman P.K. Subban, as he took exception to the earlier hit and cross-checked Subban on the back of his head into the boards.

Subban went down holding his neck and needed to be helped off the ice by trainers before returning to the game on the team’s power play. The Predators got a 5-on-3 power play for Kunitz’s hit, along with a penalty on Evgeni Malkin. Both Subban and Cullen ended up returning to the game after receiving their respective hits, but both won’t be too happy for each incident.

Next: Each NHL Team's Biggest 'What if

If the hits continue at this pace, we may not have any healthy players on the ice by the end of Game 2. The Predators may have used the hit as motivation, as they quickly scored after their power play ended, and made it 1-0 on the road in Pittsburgh.

The Predators are looking to bounce back from a Game 1 loss and are looking to even the series before heading back to Nashville for Game 3.