Was Nazem Kadri's hit on Alex Ovechkin clean?
Craig Custance: With the benefit of slowing it down, it looks like it's on the knee. I don't like this hit. To me, it's clipping and worthy of at least a fine. That Ovechkin got back in the game, and appears unbreakable, helps Kadri's case, though.
Scott Burnside: I'm with Craig on this. Don't like this hit. It's predatory. A low, dangerous play on an unsuspecting player. The fact the borderline hit is made by one of the Toronto Maple Leafs' most important players in Kadri on the greatest goal scorer of his generation in a critical playoff game shines an even brighter light on the play. The fact that Ovechkin returned is a testament to his incredible durability and might help defuse what could otherwise become a flashpoint of controversy in a dynamic first round.
Joe McDonald: If this happened to any other player, or the likes of Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid in the Stanley Cup playoffs, would it be a major issue? Case in point: The Boston Bruins' David Krejci left Game 5 after being on the receiving end of an a knee-on-knee hit by the Ottawa Senators' Chris Wideman. Ovechkin returned, but Krejci is done for the night. Wideman's hit was worse than Kadri's.
Pierre LeBrun: The fact that Ovechkin returned has certainly reduced this storyline. As for the hit itself, it was of the low-bridge variety, which I don't like. It should have been a clipping major. But a suspension it is not, especially since the NHL strongly considers the victim's health status in the equation and Ovechkin appears to have avoided the worst.