Last night the Florida Panthers took a commanding 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup finals. Historically, teams that take this lead go on to win the series 90% of the time. As the game went on, things between the two teams grew heated highlighted by a moment when Panthers defender Aaron Ekblad placed Evan Bouchard in a rear naked choke.
As Ekblad applied the hold Bouchard could be seen tapping out to alert the defender. He was in stress. Ekblad did not immediately release the hold and continued to apply the move. Eventually he released Bouchard without incident, but as many have highlighted this was an extremely dangerous play.
It isn't known if the NHL Department of Player Safety will review this play, but it is definitely possible the league feels that this may reach the level of supplemental discipline. It will be interesting to see how the league reacts because this could very well set a tone for the remainder of the series.
