Bruins head coach Claude Julien was honest with his assessment of the hit that knocked Johnny Boychuk from the game Thursday night in Montreal.
Julien told reporters after Boston’s 2-1 loss that he agreed with the referee’s decision to hand Max Pacioretty a boarding minor for the hit, but that he does not believe the Canadiens winger deserves any further punishment from the league.
“I think it was deserving of a two-minute penalty,” Julien, via CSNNE.com. “I’m being honest here. I don’t think it was more than that.
“I think it was the way he went into the boards that did most of the damage. I don’t think it was from the severity of the hit. We have to be honest if we’re going to clean up this game. To turn around and say that it should have been a game, suspension, I don’t think so.”
Boychuk was taken off the ice on a stretcher during the first period and transported to a Montreal hospital. The extent of his injury has not been revealed, but the defenseman was cleared to travel with the team back to Boston.
Pacioretty said after the game that he “felt terrible” about the hit.
