Dave Strader (who many of us remember well) is covering the series for NBCSports. He reports that after the morning skate today the Preds were using the ping pong tables outside the dressing rooms to relax. Big Bert stepped out, told them that if they wanted to play ping-pong, they'd have to bring their own table; then he folded the table up and wheeled it into the Wings room. CLASSIC!
follow Dave Strader on Twitter if thats your thing. @TheVoiceDS
48.1 Illegal Check to the Head – A hit resulting in contact with an opponent's head where the head is targeted and the principal point of contact is not permitted. However, in determining whether such a hit should have been permitted, the circumstances of the hit, including whether the opponent put himself in a vulnerable position immediately prior to or simultaneously with the hit or the head contact on an otherwise legal body check was avoidable, can be considered.
It is determined that although Krejci put himself in a vulnerable postition by standing on the ice and not being aware of Pane, Panes hit illegally targeted the head and made it the principal point of contact.
Other factors taken into consideration were:
Pane has a history of injury including a hit on Wayne Gretzky's wife
The principal point of contact was the head
The hit was sustained after the end of the game
It is ruled that Pane will be replaced for the remainder of this playoff series.
After the ruling, Shanahan said that Pane, : was all broken up about the hit and wishes it could have kept itself together but it just got pushed a little too far".