The NHL Department of Player Safety made an official decision on Alexander Alexeyev's suspension fate after a vicious cross-check to the face of Brendan Gallagher.
The first game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Washington Capitals set the tone for an intense and physical series. The Canadiens came in anxious, while the Capitals were ready to play at the first whistle.
Once again this year, this led the Habs to get themselves in a hole in the first two periods of the game, from which they got out by tallying the game at two in the final minutes of the third period to force overtime.
But a few minutes into the overtime, Alex Ovechkin scored his second goal of the game, the first overtime playoff goal of his career.
Even if the series showcases the best against the worst team in the Eastern Conference, both teams showed that they are ready to compete and set the table for exciting matchups.
Alexander Alexeyev, a 25-year-old defenseman, was pumped and wasn't afraid to go after Brendan Gallagher, the Montreal Canadiens veteran renowned for his ability to stir things up on the ice.
Alexeyev may only be in the second playoff run of his young career, but he knows what to do in such situations.
He didn't shy away from making his presence felt when he hit Gallagher in the face with his stick: a dangerous gesture that was left uncalled by the referees.
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In a new development, we learned that the NHL's Department of Player Safety reached a verdict on the incident.
Here's what they decided:
In the same game, Alexeyev ironically left in the third to get some dental work done for a high stick from Habs' Jake Evans, a hit that wasn't called by referees because the hit was made during Evans' motion to hit the puck.
