Connor McDavid drove to the net at 8:06 of the first period at Rogers Place on Thursday when Anaheim Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson caught him after the shot and sent him into the left post. McDavid stayed down, then got up and let Helleson know what he thought of it.
Vasily Podkolzin checked on his captain first. Then he went and found Helleson.
What followed cost the Edmonton Oilers a great deal more than it cost Anaheim, and supporters watching mostly gave praise to Podkolzin for his answer, while also agreeing to the hit on McDavid not being particularly dirty.
“Nothing wrong. But if you do a hard check on a star player you can expect push back,” one wrote.
“Even though this was unwarranted, I wish my team had players that stood up for the captain and best player this way,” said another.
“Now that’s a team response,” a third offered, while someone else concluded: “Don’t think any Oilers fan is gonna be upset at Podkolzin there.”
What the response cost Edmonton:
| Penalty minutes | Podkolzin’s ice time | Anaheim power play | Power-play goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 2:40 | 5 minutes | 1 |
What is a one-man fight in the NHL?
Referee Cody Beach announced the penalty using exactly that phrase, because a fight doesn’t require two willing participants. Helleson dropped his gloves but, in the officials’ judgment, didn’t throw back while Podkolzin kept going, which triggered the aggressor rule and the game misconduct.
The distinction matters, and Podkolzin has been on the other side of it. When Jonathan Kovacevic hit McDavid in January, Podkolzin dropped the gloves immediately, Kovacevic fought back, and the night ended there with a standard two, five and ten. He stayed in the game.
Helleson’s minor and Podkolzin’s instigator cancelled out, which left the fighting major unmatched and Anaheim with a five-minute power play. They scored on it.
The hit itself drew nothing. No charging, no boarding, no penalty of any kind for the check that put McDavid into the post.
Head coach Mike Babcock backed his player and took issue with the call.
McDavid carried on as if nothing had happened, finishing with a goal and three assists to extend his season-opening point streak to 17 games and his league-leading total to 44 points. Anaheim, who knocked Edmonton out in the first round last spring, won 5-4.
Read more:
