Evgeny Kuznetsov can be a strange bird all by himself, but his mere presence near the Detroit Red Wings bench during the third period caused a once-in-a-lifetime play to happen.
As Kuznetsov skated by, Detroit’s head equipment manager, Paul Boyer, tried to hand Dylan Larkin a new stick after the Red Wings forward had his slashed and broken in the offensive zone.
Boyer held the stick out for a few seconds and struck Kuznetsov in the face with the twig.
Here's something you don't see every day.
Evgeny Kuznetsov gets hit in the face by a stick that was being passed to Dylan Larkin from the bench. pic.twitter.com/SoOts8pOXj
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 28, 2021
The high stick ended the rush and caused a turnover. Play was then whistled dead as Kuznetsov was examined by Jason Serbus while laying on the ice in pain.
Dylan Larkin gets slashed in the offensive zone.
He plays Kuznetsov down the boards while trying to get a new stick from Paul Boyer, who accidentally hits Kuznetsov in the face with the stick.
Just a weird sequence of events #LGRW pic.twitter.com/T137uEolHd
— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) October 28, 2021
I’d imagine there was no malice here from the trainer, but I have so many questions. Does Larkin see the stick over the boards and shove Kuznetsov down towards it? Did the trainer blindly hold the twig out assuming there were no players skating right towards it? That is really careless and dangerous.
The NHL rulebook actually addresses plays like this. The Red Wings should have been issued a bench minor for interfering with play.
56.3 Bench Minor Penalty – A bench minor penalty shall be imposed when an unidentifiable player on the players’ bench or penalty bench or any Coach or non-playing Club personnel who, by means of his stick or his body, interferes with the movements of the puck or any opponent on the ice during the progress of the play.
But much like Alex Ovechkin’s strange broken stick goal, officials missed it and no penalties were issued.
The Capitals were not issued a late-game power play and Larkin later won the game in 3-on-3 overtime with a gassed Kuznetsov on the ice.
OT WINNER 🚨
Dylan Larkin rips home the @SUBWAYCanada OT winner for the @DetroitRedWings. #NHLonSN pic.twitter.com/1A0qfqsNAz
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 28, 2021
Like I said: strange. All of it.
Screenshot: NBCSWSH
