The biggest talking point after last night’s Game 2 loss to the Florida Panthers was just how physical this series is becoming. From the punches and hits to the controversial plays on both ends of the ice, the series is truly starting to heat up.
One of the more spicier moments was the controversial hit that Leon Draisaitl made on Aleksander Barkov midway through the third period:
Depending on what team you are a fan of, your opinion of the hit is varied. The one question that remains is should that play be a suspendable incident?
The case for a suspension
If you are a Florida Panthers fan, this is probably the category in which you fall. There are three main points you are looking at as part of the hit. The first is that there is a potential clear intent to injure. Draistaitl aimed Barkov from nearly the blue line and picked up speed to complete the hit.
Additionally, Draisaitl left his feet while completing the hit, had his elbow be the primary point of contact with Barkov’s head, as well as driving his elbow up and into the head further to complete the hit.
That is almost a textbook hit to the head that the Department of Player Safety would look to discipline.
Many would also say that if the roles were reversed and it was either Draisaitl or Connor McDavid getting hit by Matthew Tkachuk, then it would cause a league uproar. Barkov is a premier player in the league and should be treated equally and fairly.
Add in the fact that Draisaitl was suspended last year in the playoffs as well, which would make him a repeat offender that could influence their decision as well.
The case against a suspension
If you are an Edmonton Oilers fan you are probably laughing at the very thought of this discussion. Based on the physicality of the game, this was a player completing his hit and there were other offences during the game that were borderline as well.Â
Warren Foegle was kicked out of the game for a knee-on-knee hit, that was somewhat less serious than a hit that Sam Bennett delivered but wasn’t reprimanded. You can also look at Evan Bouchard being put into a headlock and having to tap out to be released which went unnoticed.
Draisital’s hit doesn’t look great, but there were other plays that either went more heavily penalized or ignored that should be looked at in more detail.
Out of Draisaitl’s hands
The biggest issue here is that regardless of your opinion on the hit, Draisaitl put himself in a position to have this put in someone else’s hands. It’s more likely that he will get a fine from the DoPS, but a hearing wouldn’t be shocking either.
Draisaitl plays on a fine line but sometimes needs to be more cautious in situations like this where it could hurt his team any further.
One Comment