NHL to Look at Charlie McAvoy’s Slash on Benson?

Tensions boiled over in the final moments of Game 6 between the Boston Bruins and the Buffalo Sabres, as defenseman Charlie McAvoy was ejected following a retaliatory slash on forward Zach Benson. It was an ugly slewfoot by Benson, but the reaction from McAvoy is garneing a lot of attention, with many calling for the NHL DoPS to come down hard on the Bruins’ defenseman.

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With just 1:31 remaining and Buffalo holding a 4-1 lead, the Bruins had pulled their goaltender for an extra attacker when the incident occurred. Racing back on an icing play, McAvoy was tripped by Benson, sending him hard into the end boards. Visibly frustrated, McAvoy quickly got to his feet, skated through traffic, and delivered a two-handed slash to Benson’s torso after the whistle.

A scrum ensued and Benson wasn’t hurt, but the action by McAvoy was brutal and it could have led to a serious incident.

Officials assessed McAvoy a five-minute major for slashing, which comes with an automatic game misconduct, ending his night. Benson received a minor penalty for tripping on the play.

What Will Happen to McAvoy?

No one liked the trip by Benson and a slewfoot could get reviewed by the league. However, McAvoy crossed the line, and the DoPS might take a look, with any supplementary discipline taking effect next season, if warranted.

“Raw emotion,” Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said postgame. “Charlie’s a hell of a player… probably went a little too far.”

When asked about the play and if he expects the league to assess any discipline, McAvoy said: “I won’t play another game until September, so I can’t imagine it really matters much.”

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