Frank Seravalli just reported that the NHL will not hand out supplemental discipline to Vegas forward Braeden Bowman for his hit on Bruins center Matt Poitras.
That closes the book on the ugliest moment of Monday night at TD Garden. Bowman was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for elbowing, and Poitras left the ice bleeding badly.
Seravalli laid out the league's reasoning: Bowman kept his elbow tucked to his body, so it is not viewed as elbowing, and the head was not deemed the principal point of contact.
Gino Hard relayed the same ruling and credited Seravalli for it.
Seravalli also said a reverse angle shows Poitras actually skates into Bowman. That is the detail that will sting in the Bruins' room, because the on-ice officials saw it very differently in real time.
Gino Hard's post from Monday night said Poitras was leaking badly and headed straight off the ice.
Poitras came back to the bench with a full bubble shield and gauze at his nose, according to Jim McBride and Hard. Boston went on to win 3-2 in a shootout, and David Pastrnak's shootout winner was the finish. Morgan Geekie scored on the major.
Where Poitras stands for Pittsburgh
The Bruins gave no update on Poitras after the game. McBride reports he was not at Tuesday's practice.
His status is unknown, and nothing in the latest information points to a diagnosis or a timeline. Boston plays at Pittsburgh on Thursday.
The timing is rough. Poitras had just re-entered the Bruins lineup against Vegas, and he has 4 goals and 3 assists in 12 games this season. He played just 3:13 on Monday before the hit changed his night.
Boston sits first in the Atlantic at 11-4-1 and has won two straight, so the standings aren't the worry. The worry is a player carving out a role who now has an unanswered question next to his name.
And the ruling itself is a tough one to defend. A major and a game misconduct on the ice, nothing from the league after the fact, and a bloodied Bruins forward in between. Fans can disagree with the explanation, but the decision stands.
Whether Poitras skates Thursday in Pittsburgh is the next thing to watch.
