Around the 14 minute mark of the first period, Jay Beagle was knocked to the ice and seemed a bit stunned as he got up. It went undetected by most, but the reason Beagle was so stunned was that he was elbowed in the face by Lauri Korpikoski who, by the way is a terrible hockey player.

Here’s a look at the cheap shot.

This is the kind of garbage hit the NHL needs to crack down on if they are serious about player safety and trying to prevent head injuries. Intent here is irrelevant. You can’t skate in the vicinity of an opponent with your elbow exposed like a damn chicken wing. It’s dangerous and it’s how people get hurt.

Thankfully Beagle, who has suffered at least one really nasty concussion in his career, seemed no worse for the wear.

Full RMNB Coverage of Caps vs Oilers