NHL star Nikita Kucherov escapes penalty after Zachary Bolduc slash on Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning playoff controversy

In Game 5, otherwise between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nikita Kucherov got into the limelight after an unpunished slash on Zachary Bolduc led to an outcry throughout NHL circles. The incident occurred when the two teams were playing a tough playoff game where emotions had already escalated.

This season, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens have provided one of the most physical games in the NHL playoffs. As the series stood at a tie and tension built up in the series, each call that went missed is attracting great criticism by fans, analysts and players alike after the recent round-up of news about the NHL.

Nikita Kucherov no-call sparks outrage during Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning NHL playoff

It began with the incident involving Nikita Kucherov giving Zachary Bolduc a hard slash straight on during the second period of Game 5. Officials failed to pick up the play live, which gave the Tampa Bay Lightning forward a chance to escape a penalty even during this time, when it was immediately reacted to by players of the Montreal Canadiens.

Zachary Bolduc was seen losing his temper after the play and swearing at each other as they skated past the Tampa Bay Lightning bench. The clip quickly spread among fans of NHL games attending the playoff match, particularly since several physical confrontations had already taken place in the match.

Montreal Canadiens previously led by goals by Brendan Gallagher and Kirby Dach 2-1, but Tampa Bay came back later in the period to equal the score.

A large number of observers reporting on the results of NHL matches claimed that playoff hockey permits more violent play, but various observers thought that the slash overstepped the boundary.

It was also an important incident that cast doubt on whether the NHL Department of Player Safety could examine the sequence, and this was after the match. No formal disciplinary update had surfaced right after the contest, though the talk persisted in the coverage of the news in the NHL and reaction on social media.

The Nikita Kucherov incident can become one of the primary lines with the postseason fight going on.