Milan Lucic still remembers when Matt Cooke ended Savard's career

How could he or any Bruins fans forget?

Back in 2010, Matt Cooke laid an absolute cheap shot to head of the Bruins best player at the time, Marc Savard.

Not only was it the topic of conversation for months, but it turned out to completely end the career of Savard. It adds yet another layer to this heated rivalry between the Bruins and Penguins.

Milan Lucic, who was obviously still on the team at the time, remembers the hit well. He recently contemplated the consequences of that hit in comments relayed by The Sports Network in Canada.

TSN:

"It's an interesting question because if it wasn't for that [Cooke hit], where would Marc Savard be today? He'd still be under contract with us, and would be on our team," Lucic told Joe Haggerty of Comcast Sportsnet. "I still talk to (Savard) and keep in touch with him. He was a good friend of mine when he was on the team.

The Bruins never really aptly responded to the hit as a team. Savard did return later on that year in the post-season and was on the ice for the team's epic collapse when they blew a 3-0 series lead to the Philadelphia Flyers. Savard was never the same though, with reports of some pretty sad repercussions from that hit. He retired the next year as he watched the Bruins win the Stanley Cup from his television set.

Cooke isn't the only Penguin to end a star Bruins player's career though. Ulf Samuelsson ultimately ended Cam Neely's career on a trademark cheap hit back in 1991.

The Penguins are deep, talented and experienced. They're also pretty easy to hate.