Alex Ovechkin spent five minutes in the penalty box for boarding Boston Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller on Saturday.
Miller was forced to leave the game and appeared to be favoring his right shoulder which had been surgically repaired last February. He did not return and was taken to hospital for examination.
The nature of the injury may have played a role in the penalty call.
Per Rule 41.5, a game misconduct for boarding comes "for a foul resulting in an injury to the face or head of an opponent."
— Amalie Benjamin (@AmalieBenjamin) March 6, 2016
Still, the incident may be reviewed by the NHL's Department of Player Safety.
After the game, Ovechkin called the incident "just a hockey play."
