Jake Sanderson’s departure left Ottawa in shock, and Travis Green didn’t agree with the league’s decision to not punish Taylor Hall.
The NHL’s choice to stick with no extra actions makes this incident not just an ugly moment in the playoffs but raises concerns about trust in Player Safety. On Friday, Frank Seravalli shared that there will be no further steps taken after Hall’s hit on Sanderson.
This is why Green’s response was so strong. Ottawa’s head coach labeled it as a clear hit to the head after Sanderson left the game, and the anger was understandable since the Senators were already down 3-0 against Carolina.
Hall received just a small penalty for an illegal hit to the head at 4:24 in the second period. Sanderson sat out for a short time before returning to play for 13:19, but then he had to leave the game for good.
The timing of this was important. Ottawa didn’t just miss a regular defensive shift, they lost a key player that Green depends on in critical moments, especially during a tight playoff game.
Sanderson wrapped up the regular season with 54 points in 67 games, and he played a whopping 43:06 in time during the double-overtime loss in Game 2. It’s tough to find someone to fill that role quickly.
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