When you’re playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, emotions are running super high. The intensity is so real out on the ice, and as a result we get some pretty entertaining hockey.
Sometimes emotions can boil over in different ways. Bad penalties or amplified skirmishes are one way, but on Wednesday evening Nick Suzuki let his emotions get the best of him in a completely different way.
After Brendan Gallagher scored a tie-breaking goal to put the Montreal Canadiens up 3-2 in a do-or-die game, it’s understandable that you’d be overwhelmed with excitement. When the puck crossed the line and the Habs’ arms went in the air, Suzuki reached over and patted the head of Flyers goaltender Carter Hart.
On the surface, this could be seen as a very unsportsmanlike move. Whether it was meant to be consoling Hart – a former teammate of Suzuki – or simply a mind game he was playing, just about everyone had an opinion on the matter.
After the game, Suzuki owned up to the gesture, admitting that he was caught up in the moment and that he shouldn’t have done it.
Overall, Suzuki taking responsibility should squash any potential beef between the former teammates. We won’t be expecting him to do that again any time soon, however.
(H/T John Lu)
