New Jersey Devils forward Anthony Mantha was assessed a five-minute major for boarding Ottawa Senators defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo on Monday night in Newark after a push from behind that sent Matinpalo head-first into the boards and out of the game with an upper-body injury.
Matinpalo never returned. Mantha did. That gap between the two outcomes is where the rulebook – and potentially the Department of Player Safety – come in.
Midway through a scoreless first period, Matinpalo went to play the puck in front of the Devils’ bench. Mantha chased him down and pushed him from behind, hitting him right on the numbers. Matinpalo lost his balance and went head-first into the boards, staying down while a trainer attended to him before heading straight down the tunnel.
Referees Beau Halkidis and Francis Charron assessed a major for boarding, which they confirmed via video review. Matinpalo’s night was over after just 2:19 of ice time over four shifts; the Senators announced before the second period that he would not return with an upper-body injury.
The Senators couldn’t cash in on the major, either. New Jersey killed the full five minutes, allowing just two shots.
Mantha, meanwhile, came back after serving his time and finished the game. He was back on the ice in the second period and recorded two shot attempts in the third.
Rule Check: Why five minutes wasn’t an ejection
Boarding (Rule 41) is checking or pushing a defenseless opponent so that he impacts the boards violently or dangerously, with the severity – minor, major, or match penalty for a deliberate attempt to injure – at the referee’s discretion based on the violence of the impact.
A boarding game misconduct, though, isn’t discretionary, it’s conditional, as spelled out under Rule 41.5: “when a boarding major results in an injury to the face or head of an opponent, a game misconduct shall be imposed.”
Matinpalo went into the boards head first, and he obviously left with an injury. It just wasn’t one to the face or head, as required in the rules, so there’s no automatic game misconduct on the play.
Player Safety Watch
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Department of Player Safety had announced no hearing, fine, or suspension for Mantha. The Devils play in Detroit on Tuesday night.
Player Safety has been active early this season. Chicago’s Frank Nazar drew two games last week for an illegal check to the head of the Islanders’ Bo Horvat. Mantha has never been suspended in the NHL; his only ban came internationally, picking up a one-game IIHF suspension at the 2019 World Championship for a hit to the head of USA forward Colin White.
The factors working against Mantha on this play – it was a hit from behind on a defenseless player, straight into the boards, that ended the victim’s night.
“It’s pretty obvious what the injury is,” said Sens coach Travis Green. “We’ll wait to see how he feels tomorrow.”
Ottawa played the rest of the game with five defensemen – winning 4-1 behind Linus Ullmark’s 29 saves. Officials for the game were referees Beau Halkidis (#22) and Francis Charron (#6) with linespersons Ryan Jackson (#84) and Jonny Murray (#95).
