Zadorov fined, Soucy to have hearing for post-game cross-checks on Oilers’ McDavid

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety is set to dish out punishment following a post-game scrum between the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers.

The league announced Monday morning that Canucks defenceman Nikita Zadorov would be fined, and Carson Soucy would have a hearing after the pair went after Oilers captain Connor McDavid following Game 3.

It happened after the final whistle of Sunday night’s game, one in which the Canucks won 4-3. As time expired, Soucy and McDavid were entangled behind the net, and the Canucks defenceman gave McDavid a push. McDavid responded with a slash to the leg of Soucy, and Zadorov then skated towards McDavid, cross-checking him in his lower back.

McDavid went down towards the ice, and Soucy laid a cross-check that hit the Oilers captain square in the face.

Soucy was given a two-minute penalty for cross-checking on the play, but since it was at the end of the game, it was nothing but a formality. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported Monday the hearing would be over the phone, indicating a smaller suspension could be in line.

McDavid played 29:42 of ice time in Game 3, registering four shots on goal but failed to find the scoresheet on a night where Edmonton as a whole threw 45 shots on goal. Two of their three goals came on the power play, with Evan Bouchard also finding the back of the net with just over a minute left in the game.

With the Canucks now holding a 2-1 series lead, Game 4 between the two sides is set for Tuesday night in Edmonton, with a 7:30 PM MST start. The two sides will return to Vancouver for Game 5 Thursday, but there’s no word yet on a start time for that game.

Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.