Alexei Emelin is invaluable as a physical, stay-at-home defenseman for the Montreal Canadiens. His physicality is his calling card, but when it crosses the line it usually looks fairly ugly.
Alexei Emelin penalized for dangerous low hit on Patrice Bergeron
This was unnecessary.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Emelin found himself in that kind of trouble on Saturday in Boston during the second period. Bruins center Patrice Bergeron handled the puck along the right-side boards in his own zone as Emelin approached. Bergeron fired a pass off across the ice, but was quickly leveled at the knees by Emelin.
Interference minor to Emelin for this hit on Bergeron pic.twitter.com/Gt6DChcj6y
— Stephanie (@myregularface) October 11, 2015 It was undoubtedly interference, as the hit came well after Bergeron relinquished control of the puck. But it was also fairly unnecessary to get that low and make the hit, much less finish the check at all. Whether it will require further review by the league is yet to be seen, but it did result in an interference minor for Emelin that the Canadiens managed to kill off.
Emelin has never been suspended but he was fined in 2014 for a hit to the head of Brian Gionta.
See More:
