Pyotr Kochetkov should have been ejected from the Caps-Hurricanes game for intentionally kicking John Carlson.

The Washington Capitals secured a thrilling 7-6 shootout victory against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night in a game filled with drama and excitement. Amidst the excitement of dueling hat tricks and the back-and-forth action, a dangerous play from Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov during 3-on-3 overtime went largely unnoticed.

With just 1:08 left in overtime, John Carlson released a wrist shot that Pyotr Kochetkov managed to stop and freeze for a faceoff. In an attempt to free up the puck and secure the game-winner, Carlson poked at Kochetkov’s arm. In response, Kochetkov blatantly kicked Carlson with his skate, causing him to fall to the ice and question the lack of a penalty call from the officials.

According to NHL Rule 49.1, kicking is defined as a player deliberately using their skate(s) with a kicking motion to propel the puck or make contact with an opponent. Additionally, Rule 49.3 states that a match penalty should be imposed on any player who kicks or attempts to kick another player, resulting in a five-minute time penalty and automatic ejection from the game. This penalty also entails an automatic suspension from all future games until the league office reviews the incident for potential further disciplinary action.

Therefore, Kochetkov should have been immediately ejected from the game and faced an indefinite suspension. The Capitals should have also been awarded a power play for the remaining time left in overtime. Although the Capitals ultimately won in the shootout, the risk of missing out on a valuable standings point in the tightly contested Eastern Conference playoff race remains significant.

While Carlson was not injured by the kick and played a game-high 29:57 of ice time in the victory, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety can still review the incident for potential fines or suspensions, as outlined in the league’s rulebook. Despite not resulting in injury, Kochetkov’s kick remains subject to review for disciplinary action.