New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin was acquitted of all charges after a major penalty call was rescinded after review for his hit on Washington’s TJ Oshie
Panarin also avoided a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety, who reviewed the hit and opted for no supplemental discipline on the play.
The questionable hit came with 13:17 remaining in the third period of Monday’s Game 2, with the Rangers leading 4-2. Panarin appeared to hit Oshie up high, sparking a melee that saw players from both teams converge along the boards.
Oshie left the game for medical evaluation.
Refs Wes McCauley and Kendrick Nicholson called a major penalty on Panarin, which allowed them to review the play. It’s not clear which infraction the officials were considering. The hit did not appear to be charging, and there is no major penalty option – only a minor or match – for an illegal hit to the head, under Rule 48:
A hit resulting in contact with an opponent’s head where the head was the main point of contact and such contact to the head was avoidable is not permitted. In determining whether contact with an opponent’s head was avoidable, the circumstances of the hit including the following shall be considered:
(i) Whether the player attempted to hit squarely through the opponent’s body and the head was not “picked” as a result of poor timing, poor angle of approach, or unnecessary extension of the body upward or outward.
(ii) Whether the opponent put himself in a vulnerable position by assuming a posture that made head contact on an otherwise full body check unavoidable.
(iii) Whether the opponent materially changed the position of his body or head immediately prior to or simultaneously with the hit in a way that significantly contributed to the head contact.
After a second look, McCauley delivered the verdict.
“There’s no penalty on Number 10 [Panarin], Rangers,” McCauley announced. “Number 24 [Connor McMichael] for Washington’s got a minor for roughing.”
It’s likely the refs felt that, while there was head contact on the play, the head was not the main point of contact. Panarin’s back appears to collide with Oshie’s midsection, with Oshie’s head hitting Panarin’s back.
They also may have considered that Oshie’s body position – leaning forward – may have contributed to the contact, even though he did not materially change his body position immediately prior to the hit.
Had Panarin been whistled for a major penalty on the play, it would’ve been a key opportunity for the Capitals, who trailed by two.
“They said it wasn’t a minor penalty was the only explanation I got. I asked a few follow-up questions with regards to leaving feet, point of contact,” Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said. “To me, when the [concussion] spotter removes him, there has to be some kind of contact with the head. So that’s where I was a little bit confused on him being removed by the spotters and then no minor penalty on the ice.”
When the dust settled, the Rangers ended up with a power play. The only penalty issued in the sequence came to the Caps’ Connor McMichael. It’s important to note that the penalty to McMichael was called by the officials on the ice; it was not assessed after reviewing the video to evluate the Panarin hit.
The New York Rangers held on to win Game 2 by a score of 4-3, taking a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven series against the Capitals. Officials for the game were referees Wes McCauley (#4) and Kendrick Nicholson (#30), with linespersons Kiel Murchison (#79) and Brandon Gawryletz (#64).
