Connor McDavid landed the wrong way on Sunday night with a vicious cross-check to the face.
And that could change the second round of the playoff series between the Oilers and Canucks.
Shortly after teammate Nikita Zadorov cross-checked McDavid in the back after Vancouver beat Edmonton 4-3 to advance 2-1, Carson Soucy brutally — and then… Some may label his batting as dirty — but he did a cross-check to the Oilers’ superstar’s face. The main character of the series.
Such a hit could result in Soucy being suspended for Game 4 on Tuesday.
“That’s really clear. This is definitely a suspension.” TSN Scouting Director Craig Button said.. “There needs to be a suspension. Anything other than the suspension of Carson Soucy is wrong. Right to the head off Zadorov’s cross-check. So Soucy is heading straight for it. He cross-checks Zadorov. It doesn’t matter what you got, it’s not the hockey play, it’s the end of the game.
“If the Ministry of Player Safety does not suspend Carson Soucy, they have failed in their job of applying supplementary discipline. Any other decision is unacceptable.”
When things got very precarious, the final whistle blew for Vancouver with a 4-3 road win.
As the two stood behind the goal, Soucy shoved McDavid, but McDavid responded by slashing Soucy’s right leg with his cane. Soucy responded by punching McDavid back.
And I started getting scared.
As McDavid focused on Soucy, Zadorov cross-checked the square behind McDavid.
The blow caused McDavid’s knee to buckle, and at the same time Soucy cross-checked McDavid, delivering an extremely brutal blow to the face.
A tag team maneuver sent McDavid to the ice.
After the whistle, Soucy received a minor penalty, but it didn’t matter as the match was already decided.
Analyst Paul Bissonnette criticized Edmonton for not defending its star player.
“McDavid got cross-checked to the face and didn’t really check anyone. I understand he gave Soucy the chop first, but that wasn’t the appropriate response. Soft team, it’s pathetic for us to be in the bottom six. Bissonnette was posted early Monday morning on X. “The Canucks play a great team game, but JT Miller is a dog. He’s established himself as a great player for the Canucks right now. He’s a warrior. He’s 100% for seven games now. Oilers are united.”
The defenseman could miss Tuesday’s game in Edmonton, which could help the Oilers even the series.
The 29-year-old has four assists and a plus-3 rating this postseason.
