Before the discussion even comes up, lets make it clear that this was not a dirty hit by Florida Panthers defenseman Erik Gudbranson. It was a completely legal hit, and this was just a casualty of both players being very big, skating very fast and being close to the boards.
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin was driving wide in the third period to try and get a shot. As he was following through on his shooting motion, Gudbranson shoved him and knocked him off balance. Malkin slid into the boards going full speed and had no time to brace himself before hitting the boards. You can see his head snap back and the sound that he made when he hit the boards did not sound good at all.
If Malkin is out for a while, the Penguins will be in some serious trouble. Malkin already has 18 points in 21 games this year, and is a two-time Art Ross trophy winner. His production is crucial to their success and Penguins fans will be hoping for the best.
[NHL.com]
I don’t think there was any intent to hurt Malkin, but I thought the new rule was if you extend your arms and push a defenseless player into the boards, it’s boarding. I bet you Matt Cooke would have been given two minutes.