Bruins Hope NHL Handles Leafs' Nazem Kadri After Dirty Hit On Tommy Wingels
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Bruins, up 1-0 on the Maple Leafs after a convincing 5-1 victory in Game 1, are hoping the NHL takes care of Toronto's Nazem Kadri following a predatory and dirty hit on forward Tommy Wingels in the third period.
Kadri was hit with a five-minute major for charging and a 10-minute misconduct after launching himself at Wingels with 8:18 left to go in the third. Wingels was on his knees against the boards, and his head smashed against the wall due to the hit. It ended his night, and the Bruins are awaiting an update on the fourth-line winger's condition.
Kadri has a disciplinary hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety scheduled for Friday, and will likely face a suspension for the hit. He's been suspended three times in his NHL career, and was most recently slapped with a four-game ban for cross-checking back in April 2016. His two other suspensions were both for hits the head.
The Bruins hope the league takes care of business on Friday.
"I think it speaks for itself," Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron said of the hit. "We all saw what happened, and I hope the league takes care of it."
Forward Brad Marchand said it was "a pretty tough hit."
"I don't know what's going to happen there. I'm sure [the league] going to look at it and we'll go from there," said Marchand. "[Kadri is] obviously a big player for their team, he plays hard and is tough to play against."
Kadri had just gotten out of the penalty box after serving a boarding penalty for a previous hit on Wingels.
The Leafs forward defended himself following Boston's win.
"Initially I just thought he made contact with [Mitchell Marner]'s head to start, and I didn't see a call there. He was turning up the wall so I was coming into the hit, and then he ended up falling," said Kadri. "It happened pretty quick, and I think he was reaching for the puck. I haven't really watched it yet, but I don't think I stuck my leg out or my arm out, or whatever the case is, but it's in the hands of the NHL at this point."
A decision will likely come down on Friday. Game 2 of the Bruins-Leafs playoff series is Saturday night in Boston.
