Artemi Panarin was trying to help a teammate. The Rangers star forward and Lady Byng candidate witnessed a much larger player in Tom Wilson sucker punch countryman, Pavel Buchnevich. He then saw his center, Ryan Strome punched in the back of the head for intervening.
In the heat of the moment, the smaller Panarin grabbed Wilson from behind. To do so, he had to hop on his back and could still barely wrap his arms around him. The infuriated bull in a china shop proceeded to grab hold of Panarin who feebly tried to put up a fight and proceeded to body slam him to the ice.