Report: Hearing Scheduled For Capitals Backstrom For Peverley Hit
BOSTON (CBS) - Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom will have a hearing with the NHL on Tuesday about his crosscheck to the face of Bruins forward Rich Peverley after Boston's Game 3 win Monday night.
Backstrom was assessed a match penalty for crosschecking Peverley after the final horn sounded in the 4-3 Boston win, which carries an automatic suspension pending league review.
Game 4 of the Bruins and Capitals first-round series is Thursday night in Washington.
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Bruins head coach Claude Julien touched on the subject Tuesday morning, but is more focused on Thursday's Game 4.
"My job is to prepare my team," said Julien. "I think the league needs to look at it and judge it from there. We're not a team that will go down, and I've said that many times, and will start rolling around the ice for no reason. I'm proud of Pev for standing up on his feet and taking a cross-check to the face and not embellishing. That's what I want my team to keep doing. The rest, we have all jobs to do and you let the people who are responsible for that to make those decisions. We're going to keep moving forward and we're going to stay focused on our series and nothing from the decision is going to distract us from that."
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Julien noted there has been an increase in the physicality of play during the postseason, which is normal, but that shouldn't lead to a rise in cheap shots.
"I know there's times it's gotten a little bit out of hand but that's what they've got referees for, to control that. That's what they've got league disciplinarians for and we just got to make sure we play our game. As a team you worry about the approach that you're team's going to take and try to keep them as disciplined as possible; and go from there. But as I mentioned, you also have some – you need some emotion in this game. I think any fan that loves the game of hockey is loving the emotions that are out there right now, minus the unnecessary crap that goes with it that crosses the line."
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