Late in the second period of Thursday's game between the Vancouver Canucks and the Phoenix Coyotes, goaltender Mike Smith came out to play the puck, and apparently Alexander Edler forgot that you aren't allowed to body-check goalies like you can other players.
Canucks vs. Coyotes: Alexander Edler crushes Mike Smith
You can’t do this to goalies, can you?
Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Edler took a five-minute major for charging on the play, and Martin Hanzal of the Coyotes got two minutes for roughing. So Phoenix WOULD have gotten a three-minute power play out of this incident once Hanzal's penalty was over...if Shane Doan hadn't taken a hooking penalty of his own shortly after play resumed.
The hit on Smith was hard and high — possibly a borderline headshot on a normal player. Smith seemed fine, though, so maybe the league should consider making everyone on the ice wear goalie helmets all the time?
Just a thought.
UPDATE: Jason LaBarbera replaced Mike Smith in net for Phoenix to start the third period, so maybe Smith wasn't okay after all.
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