- Nikita Zadorov fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Rasmus Dahlin in Game 4
- Cross-check came at 16:43 of the third period with Buffalo up 6-0 and earned a major plus a game misconduct
- Read below for the announcement, the play video, and what is next as the Sabres try to close out Boston
The NHL Department of Player Safety landed on Nikita Zadorov, but it was about as light as it gets.
Boston’s defenseman was fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin during Sunday’s Game 4 loss at TD Garden. No suspension, no hearing, just the cap-out fine.
Here is the announcement from Player Safety:
The play happened at 16:43 of the third period with the Sabres already up 6-0. Officials had whistled play dead on an offsides call. Zadorov skated up to Dahlin near center ice, drove his stick into the Sabres captain from behind, then took a swing before linesmen pulled him off.
Zadorov drew a five-minute major for cross-checking and a game misconduct on the spot. His fine money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Here is the play video:
Buffalo took the rest of the night from there in a 6-1 Game 4 rout. Peyton Krebs, Josh Doan, Zach Benson, and Bowen Byram scored four times in the opening period.
Beck Malenstyn and Alex Tuch added third-period goals to make it 6-0 before the Zadorov-Dahlin scrum spilled over. Sean Kuraly notched a shorthanded marker for Boston during the major to spoil Alex Lyon’s shutout.
Here is the full scrum video:
The Bruins were already running on fumes. Down 3-1 in the series, head coach Marco Sturm called Game 4 “embarrassing.” Charlie McAvoy unloaded with an NSFW tirade in the locker room. David Pastrnak called the night “unacceptable.”
Now Boston’s season hangs on Game 5. Puck drops at KeyBank Center on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Sabres have not won a playoff series since 2007, when they reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
Whatever happens next, Zadorov gets to play.
