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T.J. Oshie fined $5,000 for cross-checking, and he’s not happy about it

Washington Capitals v Vegas Golden Knights

LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 23: T.J. Oshie #77 of the Washington Capitals waits for a faceoff in the first period of a game against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on December 23, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights won 3-0. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Along with being a fast-paced, high-scoring game, Friday’s Penguins-Capitals matchup was also a little on the chippy side.

One of the incidents that got a little bit of attention took place at the end of the second period when Penguins defenseman Kris Letang and Capitals forward T.J. Oshie were involved in an altercation along the boards that ended with Oshie cross-checking Letang in the neck.

The NHL Department of Player Safety certainly took notice of it and announced on Saturday morning that Oshie has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowed under the CBA.

Here is a look at the sequence.

Oshie was not a fan of the fine. Here are his full comments, via Tarik El-Bashir of NBC Sports Washington (Video Here).

“I agree it’s a penalty,” said Oshie. “But I don’t look down and target -- first of all I don’t hit his head. So I don’t know what replay or secret camera they have. I saw the replays they sent me and for once the announcers got it right, I got him in the neck, but it’s just hard to figure out what you’re going to get fined and suspended for and what you’re not.”

He continued by talking about a recent incident involving him being on the receiving end of a late hit that left him concussed.

Again, via NBC Sports Washington

“I don’t want to get my emotions to much into it. I got a concussion a little over a month ago after I got hit. I don’t know what the norm is, you get like .8 seconds or something, I got hit close to four seconds after I had the puck. Not only that I got a concussion on the play and I was out. So I figured George [Parros] is old school and Thornton fought, which I think is respectable so I figured that was the reason there was no suspension or fine. Then last night Letang got two free shots at my face, one sucker punch, I dropped the gloves, apparently he didn’t want to then he got another one once the ref came in. So it is just a little frustrating. Nothing I can do about it now. Pay the fine, I said my two cents. Hopefully it changes or we figure out a way to get some consistency. It seems like it really depends on who the hitter is, how many games they played, who they play for.”

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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.