Credit: Sportsnet
NEED TO KNOW
- Charlie McAvoy was ejected from the May 1 NHL game between the Boston Bruins and the Buffalo Sabres after he violently slashed opponent Zach Benson
- After he was illegally tripped by Benson, the Bruins defenseman retaliated by delivering a two-handed slash across Benson’s torso
- “You don’t want to see a guy take a chop like that at somebody else,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said after the game
Charlie McAvoy was ejected from the Boston Bruins’ game against the Buffalo Sabres after he violently slashed opponent Zach Benson across the torso.
On Friday, May 1, the Bruins defenseman, 28, was racing toward the puck late in the third period when the Sabres forward, 20, tripped him with his left leg.
Making it impossible for McAvoy to control his fall, he slammed into the end boards.
According to the NHL rulebook, slew-footing — the act of a player using his leg or foot to knock an opponent’s feet from under him — is an illegal move. It will be assessed as a match penalty.
Credit: Sportsnet
Immediately after getting back up off the ice, McAvoy skated toward Benson and swung his stick at him, delivering a two-handed slash across the Sabres player’s torso in retaliation.
“You don’t want to see the last play of the game,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said after the incident. “You don’t want to see a guy take a chop like that at somebody else. I think he feels that Benson tripped him on the play or took his feet out from underneath him.”
“I’m just going to say [it was] raw emotion,” he continued. “Charlie’s a hell of a player. Cares about winning. Anybody would want Charlie on his team. Probably went a little too far, though.”
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While Benson received a two-minute penalty for the tripping, McAvoy was given a five-minute major for slashing and a game misconduct.
Credit: Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty
The Sabres ultimately won the game 4-1, and they now advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs. It marks the team’s first time since 2007.
The Sabres will next take on the winner of Game 7 between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
When asked about a possible suspension, which would be decided by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety and served next season, McAvoy said that he “can’t imagine it really matters much,” given that he won’t play another game until September.
Read the original article on People