Mike Smith went behind his net to play the puck. Andrew Shaw ran into him at full force and appeared to make contact with his head. Beyond that, I think it’s best if you see the clip for yourself before I provide any further commentary.
Mike Smith didn’t even go to a quiet room under the suspicion of a concussion, so Brendan Shanahan will probably factor that into his decision. However, Shaw did get five minutes for charging and a game misconduct.
The cynic will say that Smith took a dive to try and make Shaw’s punishment harsher. After the hit, Chicago Sun-Times writer Adam Jahns tweeted, “How many people think Mike Smith was embellishing?”
Personally, I’m of the belief that what happens after a hit isn’t as important as the hit itself. Intent and whether or not the player was injured, should - in my mind - take a backseat to whether or not the hit was illegal and dangerous. That being said, having seen the hit, my gut feeling is there won’t be a suspension. What do you think?