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Instant playoff drama for Canadiens, Senators after 'vicious slash' by Subban

The Canadiens' P.K. Subban skates with the puck while being chased by Senators rookie Mark Stone. (Gett) (Getty)

MONTREAL — It was the opening night of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The late Jean Beliveau had held the torch on the video screens. The iconic Ginette Reno had sung “O Canada” like only she could. The Montreal Canadiens had scored two goals in a 15-second span to take the lead over the Ottawa Senators, and they had just gone on the penalty kill.

P.K. Subban lives for these moments. Often they bring out the best in him. But this time he lifted his stick high with two hands and brought it down on the right wrist of Mark Stone, the 22-year-old rookie who put up 14 goals and 35 points in the last 31 games of the regular season as the Senators went on an incredible run to make the playoffs. Stone immediately recoiled, dropped and yelped.

Subban held out his arms and hopped up and down as referee Steve Kozari put up his right arm, then gave Kozari a look as if to say, “You’re calling that?” Kozari emphatically signaled it was slashing and pointed Subban off the ice.

Stone doubled over, then went to the dressing room. After conferring, the referees made the call: a major and a game misconduct. It didn’t cost the Canadiens, who went on to win Wednesday night, 4-3. But it was dumb and damaging just the same, and it could have ripple effects in this series.

Subban lives for the big moments, but his decision to slash Mark Stone might be costly for Montreal. (AP)
Subban lives for the big moments, but his decision to slash Mark Stone might be costly for Montreal. (AP)

“It’s a vicious slash on an unprotected part of the body, and you either do one of two things,” said Senators coach Dave Cameron. “I think it’s an easy solution. You either suspend him, or if one of their best players gets slashed, you just give us five. It’s not that complicated.”

If one of their best players get slashed …

Oh, boy. Cameron better be careful. Everyone better be careful. When these teams faced each other in the playoffs two years ago, the Senators’ Eric Gryba drilled the Canadiens’ Lars Eller 13:28 into the second period of Game 1 and ignited a nasty, bloody series. Now this, 8:23 into the second period of Game 1.

“Obviously it was a pretty big whack,” Stone said. “It looked like he wanted to hurt me.”

Does Subban deserve a suspension?

“Of course,” Stone said. “There was some intent there.”

Subban, who left the building without speaking to reporters, probably won’t be suspended. The NHL department of player safety probably will consider the punishment on the ice enough, because Subban missed half a playoff game and Stone was able to return. But the refs made the right call, even if Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said he didn’t think Subban even deserved a major.

What was Subban thinking? The Canadiens were already down a man. He slashed Stone with zero subtlety with the puck nowhere nearby. Even Therrien couldn’t dispute it was worth at least a minor, which would have given the Senators a two-man advantage of 1:51 had Kyle Turris not taken a roughing penalty in the ensuing scrum. Subban didn’t do himself any favors with the way he reacted, either.

Was Stone embellishing? Come on. Subban’s stick caught Stone where there is no padding, and Stone had a visceral reaction. Stone did return to the game before the end of the major, but he kept going back and forth to the dressing room – the initial time, then again late in the second, then again early in the third.

“I was in pain obviously,” Stone said. “It hurt. It was a big slash. I tried a couple of things to get through it.”

Cameron said Stone was “not 100 percent.” Asked if Stone would play in Game 2, Cameron said: “I can’t tell you that.”

Rule 61.3 says the referee has the discretion to call a slashing major “based on the severity of contact.” It says he has no discretion if there is an injury: “A major penalty must be assessed.” Rule 61.5 says whenever a slashing major is assessed, a game misconduct penalty “must also be imposed.”

The Habs overcame Subban's absence in Game 1 at the expense of Sens goalie Andrew Hammond. (AP)
The Habs overcame Subban's absence in Game 1 at the expense of Sens goalie Andrew Hammond. (AP)

If Stone turns out to be injured worse than we know now, the department of player safety might have to reevaluate. Like it or not, the severity of injury factors into the severity of punishment. Whether or not the department of player safety suspends Subban, if he receives another game misconduct for a stick infraction in these playoffs, he will be automatically suspended for the next game.

Subban removed himself from this game when the Canadiens were already without Max Pacioretty. In other words, he cost them their best defensemen when they were already without their best forward.

Credit the rest of the Canadiens for getting through it. Though they gave up two power-play goals during the major, they also scored a shorthanded goal themselves. Though they were without two of their top three scorers in the regular season, they got goals from guys like Torrey Mitchell (a Montreal native who came to the Bell Centre as a fan last year with his Buffalo Sabres out of the playoffs) and Brian Flynn (who had never played in an NHL playoff game before).

“We’re confident in this group,” said Eller, who scored the key shortie. “History has shown many times when teams lose important players, other guys step up to get the job done. That being said, we hope to have Max back soon, and it’s going to be a good addition to have P.K. for 60 minutes hopefully next game.”

This was a missed opportunity for the Senators, who took a 1-0 lead on an own goal, coughed it up in that 15-second span and didn’t take full advantage of the major. Andrew Hammond, the 27-year-old goaltender who came out of nowhere to lead them down the stretch, looked like he lost some magic.

They need Stone back – and at full strength – and they need to keep their cool.

“The team that wins this series is going to have to be disciplined,” Cameron said. “There will be different incidents throughout the series that will have to be looked at and handled through the officials and through the league. That’s why you have officials. They have a tough job. We understand that. I thought the five-minute call was the right call for sure. Now let’s see what the league does with it.”


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