Backstrom received a match penalty for cross-checking Peverley at the end of regulation in Game 3 of their playoff series.
View full sizeWashington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom (19) and defenseman John Carlson (74) gang up on Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic during the second period of Game 1 in Boston.We finally have our first controversy on our hands between the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals.
TSN's Bob McKenzie tweeted Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom is scheduled to have a hearing with NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan regarding his cross-checking infraction at the end of Monday's 4-3 loss to the Bruins in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
The NHL confirmed that the hearing will be sometime Tuesday.
Backstrom cross-checked Bruins forward Rich Peverley in the face near the Capitals net while Peverley defended himself by throwing up his stick.
The Capitals alternate captain received a match penalty on the play, which carries an automatic suspension from the league, pending the review of Shanahan.
It was the third cross-checking penalty on Backstrom in the game as he received one at the end of the first period and at the 16:46 mark in the third.
Capitals coach Dale Hunter complained to reporters that Backstrom's head is being targeted by the Bruins and in that specific cross-checking play, he was only trying to protect his face.
He then went on to defend Backstrom saying he wouldn't do such a thing.
“Nicky Backstrom’s not that kind of player,” Hunter said. “He doesn’t just cross-check somebody in the face. He’s not like that. Because David Krejci's stick was there, he was protecting himself.”
Wait a second. David Krejci?
Yes, for some reason Hunter swears it was Krejci who threw his stick in Backstrom's face, not Peverley.
“I don’t think he’s going to be suspended,” Hunter said. “If you slow it down frame by frame, where was Krejci's stick? It was up in his face first...and Nicky reacted to it."
Krejci wasn't even on the ice.
It'll be interesting to see how the Bruins and coach Claude Julien respond to Hunter's remarks. Game 3 has so far been the most physical of the series as the Bruins dished out 58 hits to the Capitals 36.
Bruins forward Milan Lucic led the pack with eight, defenseman Zdeno Chara had six and fourth-line center Gregory Campbell had five to round up the top three.