The Tampa Bay Lightning probably weren’t too pleased with Evgeni Malkin to begin with this afternoon. The Pittsburgh Penguins star scored a natural hat trick after collecting two assists against the hapless Bolts, but Vincent Lecavalier was livid toward the Russian center for a different reason.
Watch Lecavalier blow up after Malkin “pulled a Marchand” (Matt Kalman’s phrase, not mine) on him late in the game. Depending on which side you’re on, the worst moment was either Lecavalier’s “sucker punch” or Malkin’s low hit.
Here’s the longest bit of footage on the entire skirmish. For whatever it’s worth, Malkin said he was just trying to “save himself” from a hit, which sort of falls in line with Marchand’s defense.
What do you think? Does Malkin deserve some kind of discipline for his “reaction” to Lecavalier’s check attempt? Is Vinny more in the wrong for his reaction to Geno’s reaction? Share your reactions.