The consensus feeling among NHL insiders on Tuesday morning is that Leon Draisaitl being able to play in Game 3 for the Edmonton Oilers could be determined by whether Aleksander Barkov can go in Game 3 on Thursday. After delivering a high hit that was deemed a two-minute penalty, the league is looking at Draisaitl’s shot to Barkov’s jaw. If Barkov misses time, so too may the Oilers’ sniper.
Several journalists and insiders agree that the hit wasn’t exactly clean. After a greasy Game 3 that saw several nasty hits and a couple of injuries wind up the takeaway in a 4-1 loss suffered by the Oilers, the league is looking at it like they do all questionable plays in the Stanley Cup Final.
Darnell Nurse was injured early, Warren Foegele was given a game misconduct for a knee-on-knee, and Sam Carrick left late after delivering a spear to Dmitry Kulikov. Draisaitl hit Barkov high, Sam Bennett took a run at Philip Broberg and Evan Bouchard, and Aaron Ekblad placed Bouchard in what looked like a potentially dangerous MMA chokehold.
Needless to say, this series has gotten feisty.
Was the Draisaitl Hit a Suspendable Play?
When asked for comment on the hit, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice responded, “This isn’t The Oprah Winfrey Show. My feelings don’t matter.” While he might not be sharing his feelings, fans and media haven’t been shy about sharing where they land on the play.
Frank Seravalli said he didn’t like the hit, especially Draisaitl leaving his feet, but it’s likely not suspension-worthy. He argued that if the NHL has to squint to find where a suspendable play happened, that player won’t be pulled out of a Stanley Cup Final game. Greg Wyshynski of ESPN noted, “The sense I get is that Barkov’s status for Game 3 – not injury, but whether he plays or doesn’t – could tip this thing to a suspension. But if he plays, I don’t think Draisaitl gets more than a fine.” David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period and NHL Network notes, “It doesn’t sound like we’ll see any significant discipline coming for Leon Draisaitl on last night’s hit on Aleksander Barkov.” Andy Strickland wrote: “If this was a regular season game I think the league would probably be looking at this differently. Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final presents a diff scenario when you consider the lack of history with Draisaitl. Not anticipating a suspension.”
As for what I believe, the hit wasn’t great and Draisaitl did appear to leave his feet. That said, I don’t know that he intentionally targeted the head or intended to injure Barkov. So too, if the league is going to consider a suspension on this play, the NHL should also look at several plays that have gone down in the first two games and for players involved in this series who were involved in other playoff rounds where worse infractions took place.
Specifically, the Panthers have let Sam Bennett run wild in these playoffs and he’s arguably crossed the line on multiple occasions. And frankly, the Ekblad choke on Bouchard was not a hockey play and was borderline dangerous. Bouchard tapping was a clear indication that he couldn’t breathe and Ekblad not only refused to release the MMA-style hold but cinched it in for a few more seconds. Non-Oiler fans are laughing at the play, but more than Draisaitl’s hit, that play appeared to be a clear intent to take someone out of the action.
Looks Promising that Barkov Plays in Game 3
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice offered an update on Barkov’s status today. He said, “He wasn’t worse, so that’s a really good thing. The real assessment will be tomorrow.” If Barkov continues to make good progress the coach says they should be in “good shape.”
To many, if Barkov is out, the NHL will more seriously look at Draisaitl missing a game. If Barkov plays, Leon likely plays too. Most believe Draisaitl plays anyway, and the NHL Department of Player Safety has not released any information or made any statements yet that any of the plays from Game 2 are being assessed for any sort of supplemental discipline.
