GALLAGHER OUT FOR SERIES
Forward’s jaw broken by cross-check
The Canadiens will be without Brendan Gallagher for the remainder of their playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers.
In the third period of the Canadiens’ 5-3 win over Philadelphia in Game 5 Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena, Gallagher was cross-checked in the face by Flyers defenceman Matt Niskanen. Gallagher fell heavily into the boards and looked dazed on the ice before getting up and returning to the bench with a bloody mouth.
No penalty was called on the play.
TSN’S Pierre Lebrun tweeted on Thursday afternoon: “From Habs GM Marc Bergevin: ‘Gally has a broken jaw.’”
Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reported that Gallagher will require surgery and won’t be available for the rest of this first-round series against the Flyers. Game 6 is Friday night (7 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio) with the Canadiens trailing the best-of-seven series 3-2.
Earlier in Game 5, Gallagher scored his first goal in nine post-season games as the Canadiens avoided elimination with their victory.
Canadiens coach Kirk Muller held a video conference Thursday morning and was asked about Gallagher’s situation.
“Truthfully, we’re still waiting for feedback … so I really don’t have the news yet,” he said.
After meeting with the NHL’S Department of Player Safety on Thursday, Niskanen was suspended for one game for his hit on Gallagher.
“We have footage of it from our organization,” Muller said before the hearing. “We sent it in to the league. I think the video will definitely explain what they’ll see. So we’re going to leave it with the league, and we have confidence that the video will show what it shows.”
This isn’t the first time Niskanen has cross-checked a player in the face. During the playoffs three years ago, when he was with the Washington Capitals, Niskanen received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for cross-checking Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby in the face. Crosby had to be helped off the ice and didn’t return to the game, but the NHL did not suspend Niskanen for the hit. Crosby was later diagnosed with the fourth concussion of his career as a result of the cross-check.
The Canadiens’ Jesperi Kotkaniemi received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for boarding in Game 5 for a second-period hit on Travis Sanheim.
When asked Thursday if there might be any supplementary action taken against Kotkaniemi by the NHL, Muller said: “Basically, we’re going to let the league take care of this. I think with KK it’s a debate. We’ll let them decide.”