The Florida Panthers won’t have captain Aleksander Barkov for Sport 3 of the Stanley Cup Ultimate on Thursday after he was on the receiving finish of a excessive hit from Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl within the Panthers’ 4-1 Sport 2 win.
Whereas Barkov’s standing stays a bit unsure, we do know that Draisaitl is anticipated to be within the lineup and will not be anticipated to face a suspension for the hit.
Halfway by means of the second interval of Monday’s sport, Draisaitl caught Barkov with a excessive hit to the top that knocked the Panthers’ captain out of the sport.
Draisaitl was assessed a two-minute minor for roughing.
Here’s a take a look at the play from a number of angles.
Not solely does he seem to steer instantly into Barkov’s head with an elbow, he additionally seems to go away his toes prior to creating contact. It’s a very problematic hit even earlier than you get into the harm that occurred.
Solely making it a two-minute penalty throughout the sport appears mild.
Not issuing a suspension — or perhaps a fantastic — looks as if the NHL is outright condoning such a play.
The NHL’s Division of Participant Security is at all times a lightning rod for criticism regarding its choices, and this play is certainly going to be added to its prolonged and problematic checklist of selections.
Including to the controversy is the true professional query of whether or not or not the league would act in a different way if this was a daily season sport and never a Stanley Cup Ultimate sport.
There’s a world of distinction in significance between Sport 48 within the common season and a possible season-shifting sport within the Stanley Cup Ultimate. For the league to droop one in every of its elite gamers — which Draisaitl is — it must be a very egregious play that goes far and away throughout the road.
This hit, as controversial and ugly because it may need been, in all probability doesn’t attain that stage.
The NHL’s referees hate to get in the best way of figuring out playoff video games by calling too many penalties. The league places of work appear to have the identical method.
Sport 3 of the collection is in Edmonton on Thursday evening. The Panthers have a 2-0 collection lead after successful the primary two video games of the collection on dwelling ice.
