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No further punishment for Brodziak boarding Kopitar (also, no surprise)

brodziak kopitar

Mike Russo of the Minnesota Star-Tribune reports Wild forward Kyle Brodziak won’t face further league discipline for his hit on Los Angeles’ Anze Kopitar last night.

The incident occurred early in the second period of Minnesota’s 4-2 win. Brodziak looked as though he went shoulder-to-shoulder on the hit, but still received a five-minute major and game misconduct:

The disapproval expressed by the Wild TV crew (Mike Greenlay and Dan Terhaar) was matched by Brodziak, albeit in less demonstrative fashion.

“If you’re lying on the ice for five minutes like that and play the next shift, you’re obviously not that hurt,” Brodziak said postgame. (This was in reference to Kopitar playing 1:36 of the five-minute man advantage, which the Kings failed to capitalize on.)

That said, Kings head coach Terry Murray thought Brodziak’s hit was a dangerous play.

“I was worried about that one,” he told the LA Times. “That’s a very dangerous play. You get cross-checked into the boards like that, I’ve seen too many players blow their knees, break their legs in those situations. I was very concerned about that one.

“I watch games around the league, and it’s a concern that it happens as often as it does. I don’t get it. I don’t get the attitude, the mentality of the players today. The lack of respect and the jeopardy they’re putting their fellow [players] in. In my generation, that never happened.”