Updated: 9:33 p.m.
Alain Vigneault has not announced a strategy in the Flyers’ best-of-seven first-round pick against the Canadiens.
After all, it’s the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
He certainly would not have jumped the gun and talked about life without Matt Niskanen ahead of Game 6. Instead, Vigneault put his case over the scene under control. Niskanen on Thursday held a hearing with the NHL Department of Homeland Security after checking on Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher in the third period of the Flyers’ 5-3 loss Wednesday in Game 5.
Update: Niskanen gets suspension for crosschecking Gallagher
The 33-year-old Niskanen has been a critical piece for the 2019-20 cover of the Flyers. The stiff, all-situation blueliner with a Stanley Cup ring makes up the Flyers’ first defensive pair alongside Ivan Provorov. With the Flyers holding a 3-2 series lead, losing Niskanen after a suspension would be a huge loss, one that should not be underestimated, even if Niskanen has not played his best in the series.
Gallagher, who played with a noticeable edge in the potential elimination game and scored his first goal of the playoffs, was bloodied after Niskanen’s crosscheck. After being knocked off the puck by what turned out to be a crosscheck from Gallagher in the back, Niskanen made his way back into the play, controlling the Montreal winger at his shoulder and face. The 5-foot-9 Gallagher turned him off the boards as Niskanen shoved his stick down.
After receiving medical evaluation and treatment on the bench, Gallagher returned to the game. The Canadiens announced Thursday night that Gallagher will suffer a broken jaw and will miss the rest of the series.
The Canadiens’ official Twitter account tweeted a video of the play at 9:34 a.m. ET Thursday. A little conviction, perhaps?
Ouch 😐 pic.twitter.com/R0lja9mofZ
– Canadiens Montreal (@CanadiensMTL) August 20, 2020
Asked how the Flyers can adapt if they do not have Niskanen, Vigneault did not make any adjustments.
“Well, let’s first see what happens to this afternoon,” Vigneault said Thursday in a video interview. “My guess, even though Gallagher got up and looked good, he talked to the referees. The whole time he was on the bench, he talked to our players for the rest of the game. Gallagher is a very competitive player, but I don ‘t think it’s Nisky’s fault that he may not be as big as some of the other guys, but he’s competing as big, if not bigger than anyone else.Just like a hockey game that unfortunately cut him a bit. “
Game 5 was extremely physical and tensions ran high between the clubs. In the second period, Travis Sanheim blew off his face after Jesperi Kotkaniemi hit him high and into the boards. The Canadiens center received a five-minute penalty for boarding as a foul of a game. In the last minute of the third period, after the Canadiens’ low net goal, Sean Couturier delivered a solid shot to Artturi Lehkonen when the two crosses went through, causing a ball on the blue line.
A melee breaks out as time passes on this game. pic.twitter.com/PbwQYGwDtF
– NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) August 20, 2020
“There is no doubt that there is no love between the two teams. Both teams want to win, very competitive,” said Vigneault. “The hit on Travis, it was a blow to the head that cut him. The hit that Coots [had] at the end of the game; sometimes boys will be boys. But Nisky’s hit, his angle does not change – just a hockey game in my estimation. “
Understandably, the Canadiens were not happy with the play.
“It looks like a cross directly to the face, nice, is how I saw it,” said Ben Chiarot, via Sports Engels’ Eric Engels. “In unsuspecting boy; Gally’s in the corner fights around the puck, turns around and gets a mouth full of Niskanen’s stick. That’s how I saw it. ”
Niskanen, who suffered a slash in February and was fined, is second on the Flyers with 22:05 minutes per game in the playoffs. The Flyers will hope they do not lose their leader on the blue line for Game 6 or a possible Game 7, if necessary.
“I saw it from the couch, so my view was not great,” Joel Farabee said of the play in a video interview Thursday. “In my opinion it’s playoff hockey, boys it’s going out. We fight for every inch. I did not think it was up to the point that he needed a suspension or something. Like I said, it’s playoff hockey, I think we can get over it. “
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