Not for the first time in recent years, another opponent of the Buffalo Sabres gets tangled up in an ugly incident during the game but escapes without any additional punishment from the NHL.
Late in the Sabres home opener against the Montreal Canadiens, forward Andrew Shaw slew-footed Johan Larsson. Even the reasonable Habs fans were horrified – what was the object in doing that in the waning seconds of a game they had comfortably won?
The Shaw slewfoot at the end of the game: pic.twitter.com/7ZutCs4xZb
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) October 14, 2016
The referees saw it, and assessed the player a match penalty after the game. Considering he had just returned from a three-game suspension in the pre-season for boarding Washington Capitals player Connor Hobbs, it was expected that the League would throw the book at him.
Shaw is by no means a first-timer, having been suspended for three games making homophobic slurs during the Chicago Blackhawk’s playoff run late last season, which was not all that long ago if you don’t count the offseason.
However, the Department of Player Safety looked away from Shaw’s petulant act and chose to not levy an additional suspension or even a fine, and instead will have an ‘educational meeting’ with Senior Vice President of the Department of Player Safety, Stephane Quintal.
No suspension for Andrew Shaw but Senior VP of Player Safety Stephane Quintal wants to meet with him. An ‘educational’ meeting, says Shaw.
— Dan Robertson (@DRTSN690) October 14, 2016
For a player who has had a game misconduct or match penalty assessed in two of his three games with the Canadiens this season, this is indeed a let-off and a continuation of the weak policing of the game by the Department of Player Safety whose agenda seems colored by other factors than player safety.
Oh, and ‘JFL’ is doing just fine, thanks for asking NHL.