WATCH: Sens coach Dave Cameron and forward Chris Neil address any possible retaliation against P.K. Subban or other Canadiens players for the slash on Mark Stone
TORONTO – The spectre of P.K. Subban’s slash on Ottawa Senators’ forward Mark Stone looms large over Friday night’s game as spectators wonder if there might be retaliation.
And the Ottawa Sun stoked the flames Friday morning with the headline “Heads up, P.K.” along with a quote from Senators’ enforcer Chris Neil promising his team mates will finish their checks.
“You don’t want to see stuff like that, but the intensity level is out there, and I think for us, we’ve just got to go out and win Game 2,” Neil told the Ottawa Sun.
“The refs made the call. I think the league reviewed it, I don’t think there was any actions or consequences for it, so for us, if (Subban) is skating up the ice with his head down, you finish your check on him. That’s how you get him back.
So will there be retaliation? Ottawa coach Dave Cameron certainly hinted at it during his post-game comments on Wednesday, saying if the league didn’t suspend Subban (which it didn’t) then the referees should only give his players a similar penalty when they slash one of the Canadiens’ best players.
WATCH: Canadiens players aren’t expecting any retaliation for the slash against Sens forward Mark Stone
But Subban likely will, being one of the Habs’ best players and not facing a suspension.
If there is retaliation it could be cause for suspension, according to the NHL rule book, under its definition of an instigator. The rule book says any player caught retaliating for an incident in a previous game will be assessed an instigating minor penalty, a major penalty for fighting and a ten-minute misconduct.
Ottawa Senators’ GM Bryan Murray escalated the war of words between the two teams ahead of Game 2 as well, saying Subban had actually threatened Stone prior to the baseball-swing slash.
“The disturbing part for my point of view and our point of view, is that there was a threat made before by Subban to Stone,” Murray said, according to ESPN. “There were two attempts on faceoffs to slash him, one connected. Then he two-handed him across the wrist in front of the net.”
WATCH: P.K. Subban given game misconduct for slashing in Game 1 vs Senators
Subban however flatly denied that.
“Listen, this is playoff hockey. I compete hard every game. I’ve never threatened anybody out there, I don’t think I would,” Subban said.
Comments