The most indelible image from Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final will not be one of the four unanswered Bruins goals that propelled them to victory over the Blues at the Garden Monday, but rather a helmet-less Torey Krug flying to take down forward Robert Thomas. It is the kind of hit that will be featured on Bruins highlights reels for years to come, and almost certainly every NBC Stanley Cup promo for as long as the series lasts.
And yet, some high-profile hockey aficionados say Krug should've been whistled for a charging penalty. Talk about buzzkills.
In order to put Krug's hit in context, it is necessary to look back at his preceding entanglement with St. Louis winger David Perron. Krug and Perron grappled with each other for roughly 15 seconds, but the referees let them play on. After losing his helmet in the affair, Krug raced towards the other end of the ice, and appeared to originally set his sights on Perron, who was leaving the ice.
So Krug kept skating forward, and eventually lined up Thomas.
#MAY27 #STLvsBOS #GM1 3rd periodHere's the full sequence between Torey Krug & David Perron#StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/42ccIaKpbA
— Here's Your Replay ⬇️ (@HeresYourReplay) May 28, 2019For most people watching at home, the hit was scintillating and jaw-dropping. It is exactly why playoff hockey is often touted as the pinnacle of hyper-masculine competition. TSN insider Pierre LeBrun –– basically the Adam Schefter of the NHL –– felt differently, however. He tweeted Krug should've been sent to the box.
"How the hell is that not a charging penalty on Krug? Wow," LeBrun wrote.
Sabres reporter Mike Harrington took a bit of a more nuanced view, recognizing the multiple infractions that Perron committed when he went after Krug on the other end of the ice. Still, Harrington also said Krug "clearly" committed a charging penalty, and should've been called for it.
The Athletic's national NHL writer Scott Burnside was also displeased at the non-call. "Torey Krug literally raced the length of the ice and levelled Robert Thomas after being tangled up with David Perron," he tweeted. "Charging? Yes. Called? No."
Per the NHL rulebook, charging shall be called when a "player skates or jumps into, or charges an opponent in any manner." It says a player must "violently check the opponent" in order to be penalized.
While Krug's hit on Thomas was definitely violent, it's hard to say he was "violently checked." Krug seamlessly glides into Thomas and doesn't leave his feet. Upon further review, it looks like just a good, old-fashioned hockey hit.
Torey Krug, sans helmet, steamrolls Robert Thomas pic.twitter.com/a7irGDSAS1
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 28, 2019If the national and international NHL masses want to be outraged about a non-call, perhaps they should rematch Blues goalie Jordan Binnington clandestinely throwing an elbow at David Backes during a scrum in front of the net. If Binnington's name were "Brad Marchand," they probably would.
