Don Cherry would be proud. Islanders defenceman Thomas Hickey delivered one of the biggest blows of the Stanley Cup playoffs Tuesday night, rocking polarizing Lightning forward Jonathan Drouin with an enoumous open-ice hit.Drouin somehow managed to return in the third period, and chipped in with an assist on the game-tying goal.Hickey, however, got a taste of his own medicine with the score knotted at 4 in overtime, when Lightning centre Brian Boyle returned the favour. Boyle rocked Hickey before netting the decisive sudden-death goal to give the Lightning a 2-1 series lead.Islanders coach Jack Capuano was critical of Boyle's hit, one he said determined the outcome of the game, per ESPN.
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While there was plenty of talk about whether the league would hand down punishment for either hit (both of which went unpenalized), Capuano isn't getting his wish. The NHL has no discipline hearings scheduled. The two teams meet again Friday for Game 4 in New York.[Sportsnet]It's a direct shot to the head. I mean, probably going to get suspended a game. That's what I mean. The whole game, it shouldn't come down to that. [Referee] is standing right there. I've watched it numerous times now. Those are the types of hits that we're trying to eliminate from our game.