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2016 Stanley Cup Final: Patrick Marleau won’t receive supplemental discipline

Patrick Marleau took a minor penalty in Monday’s game for an illegal check to the head on Bryan Rust, but the forward won’t receive any supplemental discipline. Check out the following Tweets from the NHL Department of Player Safety which explain the decision.

At the time of the play, I didn’t even think should be a penalty. Upon further replays, I get why it’s called. Head contact is head contact, intentional or not, but I don’t think there’s anything in this play that warrants a suspension.

Here’s one angle of the play in question. Marleau doesn’t attempt to make a play on Rust’s head and Rust keeps his head low while skating right into Marleau’s back. I dunno. It’s the Department of Player Safety. If this was the regular season he might have been suspended 10 games, I’ve long given up trying to analyze this kind of stuff.

The important thing is that it seems Rust is okay. The second-most important thing is that Marleau will get to play in game two.

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