Juraj Slafkovsky gave Martin St-Louis a scare Sunday, and Max Crozier's hit just turned into the biggest story in this series.
Late in Game 4, Slafkovsky got drilled at center ice by the Tampa Bay defenseman and went straight to the locker room after struggling to get up.
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That alone was enough to rattle the Bell Centre. Slafkovsky isn't just another winger in this matchup.
He scored the Game 1 overtime winner and opened this round with a hat trick.
Montreal already watched Tampa Bay erase a 2-0 lead Sunday night.
Losing Slafkovsky on top of a 3-2 defeat would have been a brutal swing. The series is now tied 2-2.
The first angle looked violent. The new angle made it look worse.
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Slafkovsky's head appears to take the main contact first, and that changes the conversation from a heavy playoff hit to a play the league may need to review.
That's where this gets dangerous for Crozier.
Player Safety may have a real decision to make on Lightning's Max Crocier
No penalty was called on the ice, but that doesn't close the file.
The Department of Player Safety reviews every game, and head contact is always where things get serious in the playoffs.
That's why a suspension now feels very much in play.
At minimum, Crozier has put himself under a spotlight the Lightning did not need with this series tightening up.
There's another layer here for Montreal.
St-Louis has leaned on Slafkovsky in every big spot because of his size, his reach, and the way he can hold pucks along the wall in a nasty series. Take that piece out, and Montreal's top six changes fast.
TheScore reported that Slafkovsky did return for the third period, which eases one fear for the Canadiens. But that return doesn't erase what the replay showed or quiet the debate around the hit itself.
Now the wait shifts to the league. If that new angle is the one Player Safety studies most closely, Crozier may be waking up to more than just a rough morning after Game 4.
Should Max Crozier be suspended for the hit on Juraj Slafkovsky?
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