Last night's game between the Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Wild got heated, and as always for the Oilers, Evander Kane found himself a key figure in the calamity. In the third period, Evander Kane finished a hard check on Jonas Brodin along the end boards, and now the NHL has ruled on if Kane will receive supplemental discipline.
According to Michael Russo of the Athletic, the NHL ruled that no extra discipline would be coming to Kane, and gave a savvy explanation. Clearly in the clip, Brodin take the onus of protecting himself in a vulnerable spot, and instead was preparing to throw a reverse hit against Kane. Although the play resulted in Brodin getting injured in a crunch along the boards, it was both players engaging in a physical play.
The rest of the game went on to be extremely physical, and Kane's hit itself had a little legacy to it. Brodin was forced to leave the game, and the Oilers drew a powerplay when Ryan Hartman went after Kane in retaliation.
It's surprising to see such a heated, physical, competitive game so early in the season. However, it's incredibly rare to see the NHL give a coherent explanation and a good decision on a controversial hit. Last night gave us both, along with an awesome 4-3 Oilers win.
