The Ottawa Senators could be without a key defenseman for a few games, after the league announced today that Mark Borowiecki will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety to determine a potential suspension. Borowiecki elbowed Boston Bruins defenseman Urho Vaakanainen in the face last night during an altercation in front of the net, but wasn’t penalized on the play. Vaakanainen suffered a concussion on the play.
Borowiecki is familiar with the DoPS from his two-game suspension in 2016 for boarding Tyler Toffoli of the Los Angeles Kings. That previous suspension will be taken into account, and given Vaakanainen suffered an injury another ban seems likely. The league is trying hard to take head shots out of the game, and though this incident wasn’t a full body check to the head, Borowiecki obviously targeted the young Bruins defenseman’s face as he came in to try and find a loose puck. While that decision was made in an instant, the league will take its time in determining any supplementary discipline.
The Senators play again on Friday and Sunday evenings, as they start a Western Conference road trip that takes them to Colorado, Vegas and Arizona. Luckily for the team, Cody Ceci is expected to be back in the lineup by the team’s next game, giving them back the player they depend on the most on defense.
After watching the replay, it was interesting to me the actions of Paajarvi on the play in question. It appeared to me that he put his right elbow up to the level of Vaakanainen’s head as well. if Borowiecki would not have put his elbow up. it appears to me that Paajarvi would have done the same damage.
Had Paajarvi landed that elbow, there is no way anybody would be talking about a suspension. It’s clear that he was playing the puck and his stick got caught in a skate or on Anderson.
That I could not tell. I wondering the same thing but could not really see. No question about Borowiecki though.
Actually just watched the replay again and was really watching for Paajarvi’s stick and what he was doing with it. His stick was actually between Borowicki and Vaakanainen. Really looks like he was trying to elbow him too and actually had his elbow much higher. Vaakanainen was lucky that it was only Borowiecki’s ebow that connected and not both.
gozurman1 What you saw on replay is WHAT happened. Ignore jdgoatcheese. That kid is on here to troll Boston sports teams….. weakly at that.
This ‘wiecki douche is WELL KNOWN for questionable hits and has complained to the Department of Player Safety about “other guys” like brandan gallagher NOT being suspended for “dirty” hits in the preseason. This ‘wiecki tard should have gotten at least 5-10 games based on the malicious nature of that “phantom” elbow as jdgoatcheese would have you believe. He meant to hurt Urho and did so. That jdgoatcheese kid has major issues or is blind AF, lol.