The Minnesota Wild scored an impressive overtime victory over the Dallas Stars last night, but some wondered whether they would lose a key defenseman for the next matchup. Matt Dumba’s huge hit on Joe Pavelski caused a ton of chatter across the hockey world, with some believing it was a clear suspension and others seeing it as a legal hit.
Greg Wyshynski of ESPN reports that the league falls in the latter category. There will be no supplemental discipline for Dumba, with Wyshynski’s NHL source saying it was “close to being late, but within [the] allowable window.”
Dumba earned a two-minute roughing penalty on the play after a review from the on-ice officials deemed it not worthy of a five-minute penalty.
Pavelski would play just over ten minutes, recording an assist before exiting with a head injury.
This is not the first time that the veteran forward has been involved in a controversial (and scary) playoff incident. In 2019, while still with the San Jose Sharks, he landed awkwardly on the ice after a faceoff against the Vegas Golden Knights as blood pooled under his head. The Sharks received a five-minute powerplay for that event, a decision that even Pavelski didn’t agree with in the light of day.
The Stars are now down a game and potentially without one of their leaders for a little while. Head coach Peter DeBoer explained last night that Pavelski was doing okay, but that he wasn’t confident about his status for game two.
Why would Dumba be suspended or fined, He did nothing wrong.
Because he is a POS, he banged Raymond’s helmetless head on the ice repeatedly and bloodied it in a scrum last year, no punishment there either!
@Wilf: I thought the league was supposed to be taking head shots out. But this clearly was a shot to the chin. Dumbo pushed upward, and elevated, and the puck had gone. A clean shot would have been to the shoulder, not head. If this had been Tom Wilson, people would be screaming bloody murder, and demanding his execution by firing squad.
It had no head contact.
Powvelski was hit in the head by one of the sticks as he was smooshed
@I wander
He was hit in the chin by Dumbo’s stick. Look at the replay
I can see why people say it was a legal hit, but you can see Dumba measuring up poor Joe from a mile away, his eyes were locked on the little guy & he knew what he was doing there long after the puck was gone.
You do realize that Pavelski is bigger than Dumba right?
@Bigd: they’re about the same size. Dumbo has one inch on Joe.
Keep your head up then.
Dumba is ALWAYS looking to make a hit like that.
@I wander
The puck was long gone by the time Dumbo hit him. Did you even see the play, or the replay, or are you just parroting what others said!?
Actually Pavelski is an inch taller and 20 pounds heavier.
@Bigd93 actually you’re wrong. NHL.com says Pavelski is 5’11”, Dumba is 6’0″. Research before you post. This isn’t rocket science. Get it right!
Look again. Pavelski is 20 pounds heavier than Dumba. I did my research!
anyone who has watched Dumba this year can tell you that he is no longer a key defenseman.
Dumba intentionally elevated to lay the lumber. It was a cheap shot and he got off the hook and someone had to stand up for him. The chips will be flying the rest of the series. Good luck with games getting over before midnight.
No it wasn’t. Shoulder to chest contact. There was no targeting of the head. I love Jo Pa (even though I’m a Kings fan) but this was not dirty, just hard.
I guess he figured that was the one and only way he could have an impact on the series. Not a fan of either team, but I can see why each fan base feels the way they do.
Remember when hits like this were celebrated?
Used to love me a VHS of Rockem Sockem Hockey…
@pawtucket: The problem is the random, capricious and arbitrary nature DOPeS deals with hits like this. They have a different explanation for every hit, a different way of looking at every situation. Either call it every time, or let it go every time. But don’t play eeny, meeny, miney, moe. Let’s have some consistency.
I’ve never seen “let them play” exist on a consistent basis.
“If the feelings Minnesota Wild fans had for Ryan Suter before Game 1 hadn’t already changed, they probably have now after Suter was shown twice on television cameras delivering illegal cross-checks to Kirill Kaprizov’s back.
“The most blatant of the two happened late in the third period when Kaprizov skated in front of the Dallas goal. Suter positioned himself behind him and delivered a mean cross-check to Kaprizov’s right mid-back, causing the Wild superstar to crumble to the ice before skating to the bench where he sat in obvious pain.
“That wasn’t the first vicious cross-check by Suter on Kaprizov. Earlier, Suter and Kaprizov were behind the play when Suter took a cheap shot at the same spot on Kaprizov’s middle-right back.
“Neither illegal cross-check was called for a penalty.
“Was told once by a former NHL General Manager that Ryan Suter is one of the dirtiest players in the league … but he’s not known as that because he does his business behind the play,” tweeted former Wild team reporter Dan Myers.
“Suter played nine seasons with the Wild, including his last in 2020-21, which was Kaprizov’s rookie season in the NHL. “
Cross check in front of goal headshot via a late hit.
#GritFirst
Dumba’s hit was clean, maybe a tad bit late but clean.
Late not clean.