New Jersey Devils forward Tomas Tatar was not happy with a cross check he received from Carolina Hurricanes' Sebastian Aho in Game 3 — and it cost him $5,000 after he recklessly swung his stick at his opponent in retaliation.
“New Jersey's Tomas Tatar has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for High-sticking against Carolina's Sebastian Aho,” wrote the NHL's Department of Player Safety on Monday.
The high-stick was not appreciated by the Hurricanes, who ganged up on Tatar shortly after the stick swing.
It seemed obvious that Tatar would receive a fine for the play, which wasn't quite dangerous but was certainly unnecessary in response to a light cross-check that happens probably 50 times a game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The 32-year-old Slovakian was otherwise not noticeable in Game 3, failing to record a point even though his team scored eight goals in an 8-4 rout of the Canes at Prudential Center on Sunday afternoon.
Sebastian Aho scored a goal for his team in the loss, and was also involved in an extremely unfamiliar wrestling match with Jack Hughes, a fight that no one would have expected from either player.
The fans in Newark absolutely loved seeing Hughes and Aho go at it, especially the WWE-style takedown from one team's best player to another.
Tomas Tatar and the Devils won in convincing fashion in Game 3, and will look to tie the series up at two on Tuesday night at the Prudential Center.
Both teams are looking for an elusive trip to the Eastern Conference Finals; it would be the first for the Devils since coming within two wins of capturing the Stanley Cup in 2012, while it would be the first for Carolina since 2019, and just fourth in the team's history.