The New York Rangers were officially eliminated from playoff contention after their 6-3 loss to the Washington Capitals on Monday. But after the game, much of their focus was on the second-period line brawl that saw the two teams scrum after a Vitek Vanecek goal-line save.
Tom Wilson caused the most havoc, punching Pavel Buchnevich in the head, body-slamming Artemi Panarin to the ice, and taunting the Rangers with a macho man routine from the penalty box. Panarin left the game with a lower-body injury and would not return.
The Rangers had harsh words for Wilson postgame.
“I dunno,” Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad said. “I figured you should have some more respect for the game and for the players. I honestly don’t know where to start. it’s just horrible. Zero respect. And I don’t know why I’m surprised. Just horrible.”
"I figured you should have some more respect for the game and for the players…it's just horrible. Zero respect. I don't know why I'm surprised" – Mika Zibanejad on the Tom Wilson incident tonight pic.twitter.com/f1veh5G3af
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) May 4, 2021
“Well, we all saw it,” Rangers head coach David Quinn added. “There’s lines that can’t be crossed in this game. And it’s just, to me, it’s his zero respect for the game in general. You get one of the star players in this league now who could have got seriously, seriously hurt in that incident. It’s just, you saw what happened. It happens time and time again with him. It’s just totally unnecessary. Hey, it’s just, you all saw what happened. Like I said, just zero respect for the game and the players and everybody involved.”
"We all saw it. There's lines that can't be crossed…one of the star players in this league now who could have been seriously seriously hurt in that incident" – David Quinn on the Tom Wilson incident with Artemi Panarin and Pavel Buchnevich pic.twitter.com/jDxrvNpyQ3
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) May 4, 2021
Quinn revealed during his press conference that Panarin was “ok” but it was a “big blow” to lose him at such a pivotal moment in the game.
Rangers coach David Quinn, when asked what can be done about Tom Wilson: “The league’s been dealing with this for a while. That’s an answer for somebody else."
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) May 4, 2021
Later in the night, however, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Panarin is out for the season.
Preliminary word is that NYR Artemi Panarin won’t play the rest of the season.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 4, 2021
Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette saw the brawl differently telling the media, “I thought it was just a scrum. Physical play. There was something going on originally with the goalie and jamming at the goalie. We had a bunch of players jump in there. It happens a lot.”
But the Rangers, and the beat writers that cover them, didn’t see it that way.
Take a look at this and see how close the NHL was to a death on the ice. Ban this guy for the rest of the season and playoffs. Make him reapply for admission next year. https://t.co/sfz6E6r7bL
— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) May 4, 2021
The Department of Player Safety could come calling on Tuesday.
If we're playing "guess the suspension" for Wilson, the Capitals have four games left in the regular season. Including one against the Rangers this week.
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) May 4, 2021
