Jakob Chychrun of the Capitals leveled Nick Cousins of the Senators late in the third period tonight in Ottawa.
Cousins went down on the ice after the collision, and the officials went to the replay. The game is still going as we write, with Washington and Ottawa in overtime.
Gino Hard noted that the play was reviewed for a major, but no penalty was assessed in the end.
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That is the whole official outcome so far. No major, no minor, nothing on the scoresheet for a hit that sent a player to the ice and had the referees checking the monitor.
Nothing has been confirmed on Cousins' condition. We don't know if he came back, and we won't guess while the game is still being played.
The matchup of bodies is easy to see on paper. Chychrun is a 6'2, 215-pound defenseman, Cousins a 5'11, 190-pound center who turns 34 not long from now in a career built on physical, in-your-face minutes.
Why no penalty on Chychrun matters for Ottawa
A review for a major that ends with no call at all, not even a minor, leaves plenty of room for argument. Senators fans will want to know what the officials saw that kept this off the penalty sheet.
Cousins is no stranger to the box himself, with 42 penalty minutes in 18 games this season. Chychrun has 14 in 15 games, so neither player is new to the physical side of the game.
The standings add a little weight. Ottawa is 4th in the Atlantic Division at 11-6-1, while Washington sits 4th in the Metropolitan at 9-6-0, and every point in overtime counts for both.
Both teams are back on the ice Thursday. The Capitals visit the Devils, and the Senators host the Avalanche, with Cousins' availability the question to watch in Ottawa.
Quick hits
WINNIPEG JETS: Fans at Canada Life Centre just unlocked a new Connor Hellebuyck chant, according to Mike McIntyre. Winnipeg has plenty to say about its old goalie tonight.
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NEW JERSEY DEVILS: Winnipeg fans turned on Hellebuyck tonight, even though the Devils goalie isn't facing his old team. The boos still found him.
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ANAHEIM DUCKS: Derek Lee reports that Juuse Saros starts in Los Angeles tonight. That means the Ducks will likely see Justus Annunen in the Predators' net Wednesday night, the goalie who blanked them last season.
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ST. LOUIS BLUES: Pius Suter just scored the 100th goal of his NHL career, which was also his 200th point, as the Blues battle the Red Wings. A fourth line delivering a milestone is a nice bonus.
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COLORADO AVALANCHE: Mackenzie Blackwood's right skate blade popped off mid-save tonight in Toronto, and Nathan MacKinnon had to deal with it. Not something you see every night.
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This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Should Jakob Chychrun have been given a major for his hit on Nick Cousins?
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