One of the missions during Brendan Shanahan's tenure as head of NHL player safety for has been trying to eliminate reckless, injurious hits that simply shouldn't be made.
In the second period against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night, Mike Green of the Washington Capitals appeared to make one such hit:
The Lightning's Brett Connolly was being checked along the end boards by Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov. Green skated in hard and finished his hit with Connolly in a defenseless position -- appearing to make contact with his elbow. Connolly crumpled to the ice, eventually leaving under his own powers. He would return to the game for the Lightning.
No penalty was called on the play, but that doesn't prevent the NHL from stepping in with punishment of its own. Question is: Should Mike Green receive any supplemental discipline for this hit?