Should Pacioretty have been penalized?
There's typically bound to be some fireworks any time that the historic Original Six rivals Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins get together, but one particular play in the first period of Tuesday's game at Scotiabank Arena left Bruins fans feeling slighted.
Veteran Maple Leafs forward Max Pacioretty delivered a hit to Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke from behind in the right corner, and it was immediately evident that Peeke was shaken up. Peeke appeared to be crouching at the time of the hit, with the left side of his body absorbing most of the impact.
He collapsed to the ice in physical pain, and the play was soon halted so that Peeke could be tended to by team medical personnel. And while Pacioretty was initially assessed a five-minute major penalty, the call was reversed; Pacioretty escaped any on-ice penalty after a replay review.
Meanwhile, Peeke departed for the Bruins' dressing room and has yet to return. Whether or not the NHL Department of Player Safety decides to look into the Pacioretty hit remains to be seen.
Max Pacioretty is in his first season with the Maple Leafs
Seeing the former Montreal Canadiens captain now playing for their fierce rivals, the Maple Leafs, is still an adjustment for many fans.
A Connecticut native, Pacioretty was selected by the Canadiens with the 22nd overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut in the 2008-09 season, appearing in 34 games, and followed it up by playing 52 games in 2009-10 while also spending time with the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs.
Eventually, he would be traded to the Vegas Golden Knights as part of a package to acquire Tomas Tatar and now-current Habs captain Nick Suzuki. Pacioretty played in four seasons for the Golden Knights but struggled to stay healthy, suffering a broken wrist and foot during the 2021-22 season.
He later was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, and missed the first several months of the 2022-23 season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during offseason training; upon his return to the lineup, he suffered yet another Achilles tear on January 19, 2023.
Last season, he played in 47 games with the Washington Capitals before earning a one-year contract by the Leafs.
Pacioretty has appeared in 912 career games, scoring 332 goals and 342 assists while adding another 25 goals and 25 assists in 78 postseason games.
