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Tampa Bay Lightning Defenseman Facing Punishment After Laying A Dirty Hit To Head Of Bruins Forward?

Originally posted on Bruins Insider | By Austin Sabourin | Last updated Jan 15, 2025 2:50 PM ET

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh may face discipline from the NHL Player Safety after injuring a Bruins forward with a dirty hit to the head.

The rematch between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning was a bloodbath, and everyone knew it was going to be after that way after their first meeting ended less than a week ago.

Multiple fights erupted, with what seemed like a scrum breaking out after every whistle as well. Jeremy Swayman also challenged a Lightning player to a fight, which shouldn't come as a surprise.

But late in the game, Tampa Bay defenseman Darren Raddysh landed a dirty hit to the head of Cole Koepke, causing him to leave the game.

The officials immediately called a five-minute major on the play, but following a review they ended up calling it back, letting Raddysh get away with a dirty hit and given no punishment for it.

It did not make a difference in the game, as the Bruins would go on to win 6-2 in the rematch, but that's besides the point. The league has talked about getting rid of these types of plays but are super inconsistent with their calls on them.

Raddysh threw a massive open-ice hit, but it was clear that his main point of contact was to the head of Cole Koepke.

Take a look:

It would be very surprising to see the NHL Player Safety hand anything out for this hit, but if they want to get rid of these types of hits like they have stated multiple times, then discipline needs to be handed out.

This article first appeared on Bruins Insider and was syndicated with permission.

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