Toronto Maple Leafs' Chris Tanev May Face Suspension for Controversial Hit on David Pastrnak Last Night

There is a good chance Leafs' Chris Tanev receives a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety after his brutal hit on Bruins' David Pastrnak.

Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs games run hot, and this season isn't any different. Both clubs sit at critical junctures of the season: Boston is near the bottom of the division and Toronto middling in the middle. Neither is displaying that consistent flair from seasons passed, though for Toronto, the task gets that much tougher sans its captain, Auston Matthews, out with an injury.

Now, Toronto might lose another player with the NHL Player Safety Department looking at a questionable hit on Boston's David Pastrnak by defenseman Chris Tanev. Losing one more key player will be a big blow to Toronto in their effort to find their place this season.

The hit by Tanev on Pastrnak, possibly to send a message, could turn out to be costly. Physicality is one thing; the way things are now in the NHL, with rules and all, one finds that overly aggressive hits are being called a lot more frequently. The league's officials often come across as unpredictable, and players can find themselves penalized harshly, or barely at all, for similar plays.

Critics say the NHL Player Safety Department is inconsistent; it sometimes comes down hard for minor infractions and ignores explicit misconduct. That inconsistency frustrates players and fans alike, who often see similar actions draw widely different results. Perhaps more than any other team, Toronto seems to bear the brunt of these penalties, as minor infractions have at times drawn fines and suspensions.

Toronto has capitalized on the score sheet, winning the game via shutout 4-0. This surge of the poor Toronto power play might be a difference-maker going forward. With the League's disciplinary reckoning to come, the checkbooks of Toronto players might need to stay at the ready in preparation for what comes next.

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