Last night was a game of brutal hits. First, it was Boston Bruins star Charlie McAvoy decking Trevor Connelly into the boards. The rookie took a hot minute to get up from the devastating blow. Then, it was Braeden Bowman delivering a hard elbow towards Boston Bruins player Matt Poitras. At least, that's what the initial reaction was.
Sure, Bowman got a game misconduct for the play and a five-minute major (which played a role in the Golden Knights losing on Monday). But the NHL's Department of Player Safety ultimately decided that no further action was needed.
According to Frank Seravalli, no further action was needed since the head wasn't the main point of contact. Bowman's elbow was also tucked into his body, deeming the hit not worthy of a suspension. Thus, there's no suspension for Bowman and the young forward gets new life in his 2026-27 campaign.
Okay, so it isn't that dramatic. But it would've been a major injustice if the NHL were to let McAvoy get away scotfree from a major penalty as opposed to Bowman's call. Like, there's a problem in Houston, there, Mayor McCheese.
Luckily, George Porras and company decided that no further action was needed. Therefore, things are (somewhat) right in the world and the Golden Knights can continue their trek through the treacherous Eastern Conference road trip. Although Vegas could've used his services during the shootout, it's time to move on to other cities like Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Buffalo.
Why the NHL made the right call in not supsending Vegas Golden Knights' Braeden Bowman for his elbow on Matt Poitras
As mentioned, there isn't too much harm or foul on the suspension front. Bowman kept his elbow tucked in and the head wasn't the primary point of contact. That should be game, set, and match for not suspending Bowman for such a hit. However, there's more to the story.
Poitras returned to the bench and had a full bubble shield surrounding his face. Sure, the hit was extremely brutal at first glance. But the player got up and returned to the Bruins' bench. So, what about the hit on Connelly?
Honestly, it probably wouldn't have been a suspendable offense. But it should've been a five-minute major in the same vein as Bowman's hit. Consistency matters when making the right calls in the NHL. Otherwise, you'll have the unshakeable label of being impartial towards certain parties.
In turn, the Golden Knights lost a key shootout participant (and ultimately, another point), leading to another loss against another good team. You can only have Carter Hart do so much in net before things eventually collapse. All of this was because of a mishap in the call department.
Alas, we move on in the Eastern Conference road trip. All the complaining and bickering has been done from fans and it's time to take care of business vs. a banged-up Pittsburgh Penguins team. If not? Well, that'll feel like another missed call and that's something that the Golden Knights don't want to deal with.
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