L.A. Kings winger Trevor Moore will face no supplemental discipline for a controversial second-period hit on Oilers defenceman Vincent Desharnais.
The incident happened with 20 seconds left in the second period when Desharnais was carrying the puck out of the Oilers’ zone. As he passed the puck across the ice, Moore laid a hit on Desharnais in which the 6’7″ blueliner’s knee was the primary point of contact.
The much smaller Moore, standing at 5’11”, got low to make the hit, instead of finishing the check on Desharnais’ torso. The defenceman was shaken up on the play, labouring slowly to the bench, but didn’t miss a shift, returning at the start of the third period no worse for wear. Moore was given a two-minute minor for tripping and he’s never faced a fine or suspension before.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety reviewed the hit, according to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, and no supplemental discipline would follow.
The hit was reminiscent of one former Oilers winger Josh Archibald laid on the Jets’ Logan Stanley in game three of the first round of the 2021 playoffs.
Stanley was looking to play the puck in the neutral zone, just before the Oilers’ blue line, before Archibald came in, made himself small and made Stanley’s left knee the primary point of contact. Archibald was given a two-minute minor for tripping and was subsequently suspended for one game. The Oilers had a 4-1 lead at the time of the hit, laid at the 11:11 mark of the third period, and the Jets scored on the subsequent power play, and won the game in overtime.
The Oilers and Kings square off Wednesday night for game two of their first-round series, after Edmonton had a commanding 7-4 win. Puck drop is set for 8 p.m. MST at Rogers Place.
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