During the closing moments of the Nashville Predators vs. Tampa Bay Lightning matchup on Thursday, Austin Watson of the Lightning unleashed a dangerous and seemingly intentional slap shot at Predators defenseman Jeremy Lauzon. The incident occurred well away from the action near center ice, leaving Lauzon injured and prompting strong criticism from both fans and officials.
Head Coach Andrew Brunette, visibly dismayed by Watson’s actions, emphasized that such behavior has “no place in the game.” Brunette’s post-game comments raised the question of whether Watson’s move should have warranted a match penalty, underscoring the gravity of the incident. It will be fascinating to see if the league looks at this.
The disturbing play unfolded in the final seconds of a decisive 5-1 victory for the hometown Nashville Predators over the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning. Watson’s frustration boiled over, leading to a slapshot that not only marred the end of the game but also posed a significant risk to Lauzon’s well-being. Lauzon left the ice on his own accord but he was visibly hobbled.
Watson’s actions, described as both trashy and dangerous by many fans online have ignited discussions about how intentional this was. Some are saying he had his head down and didn’t mean it. Others think he knew exactly what he was doing. If the latter, the NHL needs to enforce stricter penalties in such cases to deter reckless behavior on the ice.
How Much Time Will Austin Watson Get From the NHLDoPS?
As the league reviews the incident, fans and analysts will be eagerly watching to see what comes of this. There aren’t many plays more unethical than firing a puck at someone in the dying seconds of a game when you’ve lost.
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