At 28 seconds of the third period on Friday, New Jersey Devils defenseman Karl Stollery checked Nathan Beaulieu into the boards, resulting in a five minute major for the hit. On the ensuing powerplay, Montreal scored twice. The penalty was undoubtably the turning point in the game and the Devils three game win streak came to an end. The call however, is one that should be questioned.
The hit itself looks bad at first, but there are things to take into consideration. During the play, Beaulieu has possession of the puck and turned his back to the play, making himself vulnerable.