Boston Bruins superstar winger David Pastrnak will not face any supplemental discipline after receiving a 5-minute boarding major and a game misconduct in the Bruins’ 2-1 overtime loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday night.
New York NHL columnist for the Athletic, Arthur Staple, was the first to report that Pastrnak had escaped a fine and/or suspension late Sunday afternoon.
An NHL source then confirmed the report to Boston Hockey Now minutes later.
David Pastrnak was ejected 18:10 into the second period. He received a five-minute major for boarding and game misconduct after he followed through on a hit to a defenseless Rangers defenseman, Ryan Lindgren.
https://twitter.com/ScoutingTheRefs/status/1736247413730382151As seen above, Pastrnak did appear to try and go shoulder-to-shoulder, but he still could’ve let up, and the onus is on him to do so. That’s especially the case right now after the NHL came off last weekend when there were multiple hits from behind and questionable plays throughout the NHL.
As is customary with all plays like this, the NHL Department of Player Safety reviewed the play to determine if Pastrnak deserved any supplemental discipline. They determined it did not, and Pastrnak should be in the lineup for the Boston Bruins when they host the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night at TD Garden.
Ironically, Pastrnak’s only suspension since entering the NHL in the 2014-15 NHL regular season came on Oct. 28, 2016, when the 25th overall pick from the 2014 NHL Entry Draft was suspended for two games for an illegal check to the head of then-New York Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi. So if he had been suspended this time, both suspensions would’ve come as the result of hits on a Rangers defenseman.
Following the game on Saturday night, Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery expressed disbelief that his star winger had been ejected.
“Very surprised. I thought it was two minutes,” Montgomery told reporters. “I don’t think he hits him anywhere near his numbers. I think he hits him on the front of his shoulder. Unfortunately, (Lindgren) got hurt, so if there’s blood, it affects the call.”
Montgomery referenced back to the hit-from-behind that Bruins captain Brad Marchand took from San Jose Sharks winger Givani Smith in a 3-0 Bruins win on Nov. 30.
“If I compare that hit to hits I’ve seen like when (Brad) Marchand got hit, blasted from behind head first into the boards, I think that’s more of a five-minute major for me,” Montgomery said. “I guess I’m glad I’m not a ref. I wouldn’t like to make those calls.”
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