John Tavares says the NHL’s concussion spotter pulled him from overtime on Saturday night with the Toronto Maple Leafs one shot away from eliminating the Ottawa Senators. Tavares stayed down on the ice for a few seconds after taking an unpenalized hit to the head from Ottawa’s Artem Zub on his first shift of the extra period — triggering his mandatory removal from the game under NHL rules.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares opened up about his concussion scare after a hard hit from Ottawa Senators ’ Artem Zub during Game 4 of their first-round playoff series. Tavares left the game early in overtime following a hit to the head that triggered removal by an NHL concussion spotter.

Tavares is even more important with the chance to eliminate the Senators for another crucial reason. When the Leafs have their opportunity to end a series, their star players stru