Gino Hard just flagged a hit from behind by Tomas Hertl on Mavrik Bourque, and Ryan O'Reilly answered right away as the Predators and Golden Knights play on.
The game is live in the second period, with 4:39 left, and the score isn't something we'll guess at. What matters is what happened between the Predators and Golden Knights, and what could come next.
Gino Hard wrote that Hertl hit Bourque from behind and that O'Reilly wasted no time dropping the gloves to defend his teammate.
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A hit from behind is the kind of play the NHL Department of Player Safety looks at, and this one is a candidate for a review. Whether it becomes a suspension, a fine or nothing at all hasn't been announced. It's a hit that could cost Vegas its center, so the decision will be watched closely.
O'Reilly's reaction is no surprise. He's 35, he's played 1252 NHL regular-season games, and he's the sort of veteran who doesn't wait for anyone else to deal with it.
Bourque is the one who took the hit. The 24-year-old is listed with no injury, and he has four assists in 15 games this season, a quiet start for a player in the first year of a long contract with Nashville.
What a Tomas Hertl suspension would mean for Vegas
Hertl has been a major piece for the Golden Knights. He has 15 points in 20 games, and five of his nine goals have come on the power play, so losing him would hit a unit that has leaned on him.
Vegas is 13-5-2 and second in the Pacific Division. The Golden Knights have won four straight and face Vancouver on Sunday, which is the first date that would be affected if Player Safety acts.
The stakes are just as real for Nashville. The Predators have won six straight and sit second in the Central Division at 10-4-5, and they're at San Jose on Sunday. Bourque's status after the hit matters for how Andrew Brunette sets his lineup.
My view: if the hit was as the post describes, from behind, it deserves a hearing. Players get hurt on this type of play, and the league has been clear about it for years. A fight doesn't settle it, because O'Reilly's punishment of Hertl is separate from whatever the league decides.
Player Safety usually moves quickly, so word could come before Sunday's games. We'll keep tabs on it.
More to come.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
What should Player Safety do about Tomas Hertl's hit on Mavrik Bourque?
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