Prust lunges high, even if it wasn't a direct hit to the head, the follow through hits the jaw...this is very similar to the haglin hit against Alfreson in that the initial contact was not the head but the follow through was...and unlike Haglin, this was mid ice. Haglin's hit would have been clean if it was in open ice, the fact that Alreson was against the boards did not help Haglin. Not to mention that the puck was still in the area of Alredson vs 2 seconds after the fact Stepan gives the puck up. It was a bullshit head hunting hit. No doubt about it. "Dirty late hit" from the Canadian broadcast network IMO Prust should be gone for the rest of the series...at a minimum he should get 3 games.
Here is what I will say. I would be surprised if he didn't get 1 game. Now it is a phone hearing not in person, so I don't see it being more than 1 game. But I think with no penalty and the way it led to some other issues, wouldn't surprise me if he got a game.
I think prust gets a game at the least and possibly more. The fact stepan doesn't have a serious head injury or concussion from that hit is not from prust not trying and its time the league suspends by obvious intent of the play and not whether the headhunter was successful in causing the most damage he could. Prust intent pretty obvious to me. He was looking to injure stepan with dirty hit up high and just because the 4 blind mice reffing the game ALL somehow missed it doesn't make the hit any better. Stepan very lucky imo to escape serious injury on that hit.
I played my dvr on slow mo forward and backwards. At first thought it was shoulder to high chest area, but when I froze the pic at the point of contact it was clearly shoulder to chin. The rest of his arm followed into the chest. It was really fast and I see why some thought it was shoulder to chest. You have to freeze it to see it. Prust should be suspended for the rest of this series at a minimum.
