Goodrow: Ritchie's hit on Gourde was 'pretty dirty'

The Gnats have each other's backs.

After Boston Bruins enforcer Nick Ritchie hammered Tampa Bay Lightning forward Yanni Gourde into the boards in Game 4 of their second-round series, Barclay Goodrow came to his linemate's defense by dropping the gloves with Ritchie.

Goodrow, who makes up one-third of the insect-named trio alongside Gourde and Blake Coleman, made it clear by his actions he didn't like Ritchie's hit. He confirmed as much Sunday.

"I thought it was a pretty dirty hit. It was late. It was from behind," Goodrow said, according to NHL.com's Bryan Burns. "The puck had left his stick so long ago that most guys on the ice didn't see the hit because they were following the puck up the ice."

Ritchie won't face any supplemental discipline after the NHL Department of Player Safety reviewed the play, according to The Athletic's Joe Smith.

YIKES#GoBolts Yanni Gourde down on the ice after this hit by #NHLBruins Nick Ritchie pic.twitter.com/3vsYn0zmFd

- Here's Your Replay (@TheReplayGuy) August 29, 2020

Ritchie was assessed a five-minute major for boarding on the play. Gourde initially left the game but later returned.

Copyright (C) 2020 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.