Brendan Shanahan has ruled with an iron fist this postseason, but it doesn't look like he'll be calling Chris Neil into his office any time soon.
Neil delivered a crushing blow on Brian Boyle of the Rangers during Game 5 of the New York-Ottawa series on Saturday, which led to Boyle suffering a concussion. Multiple reports indicate that Neil will not have a hearing with Shanahan, though, as the hit appeared to be clean.
Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos reports that Neil will be in the lineup for the teams' Game 6 matchup on Monday night, during which the Rangers will be looking to stave off elimination.
Not everyone agrees that Neil's hit on Boyle was clean, though. Rangers head coach John Tortorella compared the blow to the one Raffi Torres laid on Marian Hossa, which resulted in Hossa getting knocked out of action and Torres getting slapped with a 25-game suspension.
"Well, they have a blueprint," Tortorella said. "It's probably the exact same hit as Torres' hit. It's a different part of the ice. He launches himself, head shot, the puck is at the goal line when he's hit. So the blueprint is there. He's a repeat offender, too. Not too much research to be done there.
"There's a blueprint. I'm not trying to be something smart. It's just a dangerous, dangerous, cheap hit. It's the exact same play as Torres."
Neil –- as you'd expect –- considers the hit clean, noting that Boyle should expect to get hit like that when skating with his head down.
Check out Neil's big hit in the video below, and you be the judge.
