Watch: Big Star-on-Star Hit in Capitals vs. Penguins Leads to Ejection
Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin was ejected from Wednesday’s game against the Washington Capitals for a brutal hit on Capitals right winger T.J. Oshie.
The incident happened at the 16:33 mark in the third period when Malkin was moving the puck down the ice and looked to be getting ready to either shoot or pass.
Oshie came over to defend him, and as he did he caught the right shoulder of Malkin and went down hard.
The instant replay shows that Malkin leaned into Oshie with his shoulder and caught him right in the head, causing Oshie to snap back and fall to the ice.
There’s no defending that. Take unnecessary head contact out of the game. That was unnecessary head contact.
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) November 8, 2018
Malkin was assessed a five-minute major and ejected from the game.
Think I’m getting old. Thought Lucic play was cheap, penalty, maybe a fine (but didn’t really hate the play, still believe in reminding opponents to be cautious). Malkin on Oshie, 5&gm seems plenty. Game’s fast, always have to brace for contact, went wrong, didn’t seem malicious.
— Justin Bourne (@jtbourne) November 8, 2018
Oshie left the game, too. It was the second time in the game he got hit in the head. In the first period, Oshie took a high stick to the face and had to temporarily leave the ice.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety reviewed the play but determined that Malkin will not face a suspension or any further discipline for the hit, a league source told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Thursday morning.
The Capitals won the game 2-1, handing the Penguins their fifth straight loss. Oshie scored the game-winner a few minutes earlier at 18:46 in the third period, his eighth goal of the year.
AMERICAN HERO TJ OSHIE WITH THE GAME-WINNER ? pic.twitter.com/RqQgFDybES
— NBC Sports Capitals (@NBCSCapitals) November 8, 2018
“We got the ‘W.’ I don’t care what happens to him,” Oshie said after the game, reported the Post-Gazette.
That said, he didn’t seem to make too much of the hit.
“He got over the blue line and went to make a drop pass and my read was to let him skate by, jump around and go pressure the guy on the blue line there,” Oshie said. “He maybe thought I was coming to hit him and so he threw the reverse shoulder out there, which I try to do that all the time. I did it at least once tonight.”
Malkin was not available for comment after the game.
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