On the 5 minute man-advantaged, the Philadelphia Flyers managed to get two on the board. Jakub Voracek scored both goals to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead over the Canadiens. Claude Giroux assisted on both goals while Ivan Provorov assisted on the first while Sean Couturier assisted on the second.
The excitement did not stop there as Joël Armia tied up the game for the Canadiens on his second goal of the night. Brett Kulak had the sole assists. Brendan Gallagher quickly followed to finally break his goal-scoring drought. Gallagher’s goal was also his 37th shot on goal for first in the NHL but had nothing to show for it stat-wise up until this point.
Was it Right to Eject Jesperi Kotkaniemi?
As previously mentioned, depending on the outlet, there were differing opinions regarding how the Kotkaniemi situation was assessed. However, if one should wonder why he was inevitably ejected from the game, look no further than Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Per rule 41.5 regarding game misconducts, “when a major penalty is imposed under this rule for a foul resulting in an injury to the face or head of an opponent, a game misconduct shall be imposed.”
Following the hit, Travis Sanheim did have a bloody wound that required attention at the bench, which falls under the “injury to the face or head of an opponent” aspect of the rule. Another important aspect to consider was that Kotkaniemi’s hit was 5-minute major material. Both feet were off this ice, and Travis Sanheim had his back turned towards him, though for how long is a topic of discussion.
Whether or not the major penalty was the right call or not, since it was made, the misconduct was inevitable due to the NHL’s guidelines.