So this is a strange one.
With 5:32 remaining in the second period, the Washington Capitals appeared to be going to a power play, perhaps for even five minutes, after Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies hit Nic Dowd in the head.
Dowd, who was bloodied, left the ice immediately and went down the tunnel for repairs after he was struck in the nose. Officials whistled Knies for a two-minute minor for high-sticking. It was then referees Dan O’Rourke and Morgan MacPhee reviewed video to see if this supposed high-stick was a major penalty.
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery held up his left hand and extended five fingers out to exclaim it was a major.
Upon replay, Knies did not high-stick Dowd. The second-year winger skated through the slot and clocked Dowd in the head with his right shoulder.
After several minutes of review, O’Rourke announced to the crowd that Knies was not guilty of anything at all.
“Upon further review, there was no penalty on the play,” O’Rourke said over the loudspeaker. “It was incidental contact. The two players collided. No penalty.”
A befuddled Carbery called officials over to explain, seeming to not understand how this conclusion was reached after looking at the same replays he had under the bench.
Monumental Sport Network’s Craig Laughlin summed up the play saying that Knies hit was not malicious but definitely caught Dowd unsuspecting and high to the blindside.
Dowd would end up returning two minutes into the third period.
