Canadiens And Sabres Players Fined For Game 3 Violence

Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

The NHL has announced two fines following Game 3 of the second-round series between the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres.

The first was to Sabres forward Beck Malenstyn, who ran Habs goaltender Jakub Dobes in the second period. Malenstyn never attempted to stop, hitting Dobes at full speed in what seemed like a clear-cut attempt to injure the rookie netminder.

Malenstyn was fined $3,515.63, which is the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement.

Game 3 featured a significant uptick in goalie-related shenanigans, with the Sabres attempting to disrupt Dobes as often as possible.

The good news for the Canadiens is that Dobes stayed in the game, and was in good enough spirits to chirp the Sabres bench once Juraj Slafkovsky capitalized on the ensuing powerplay.

Xhekaj Fined

The second fine was given to Habs defenceman Arber Xhekaj, who decided it was a good idea to throw a pair of gloved punches at the end of the game, dropping Sabres forward Sam Carrick at the final whistle.

It was an ugly play, and though some may justify the actions by pointing to several chippy plays by the Sabres earlier in the game, there’s really no place for this in a hockey game.

Xhekaj has been particularly efficient in the playoffs, producing excellent numbers on the third pairing, which means the Canadiens are lucky not to lose him to a suspension, but he must be careful not to let emotions boil over going forward. He’s at his best when he walks the line, not when he goes over it.