Nash unlikely to escape punishment for hit on Kopecky.
As the New York Rangers trailed the Florida Panthers 2-0 mid-way through the third period, forward Rick Nash allowed his frustration to boil over.
Far from an ordinary hit, the replays of the incident show Nash leaving his feet and making a conscious movement to drive his elbow into the back of Tomas Kopecky’s head.
Having escaped punishment for the hit at the time, a game which the Rangers went on to lose 3-1, the incident is expected to be reviewed by the NHL with a potential three-game suspension being handed out.
Nash is widely acknowledged as one of the NHL’s elite power forwards, and doesn’t have a reputation for dirty play. However, he may well have crossed the line this time round and could face a ban depending on the verdict handed out by league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan.
Watch the incident in the video below:
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