Gallagher’s Suspension Casts Shadow Over Canadiens’ Playoffs, Ignites Controversy in Islanders Clash

The recent match between the Montreal Canadiens and the New York Islanders saw one of the most controversial incidents. Brendan Gallagher, the Canadiens forward, allegedly elbowed Adam Pelech on the head. Such an illegal action was immediately penalized by the authorities. Gallagher was handed a suspension of five matches, which means he will be compelled to sit out for his team’s final game before going into the All-Star break. 

While the incident certainly is not praiseworthy, we should look closely into the matter. So how and when did the foul take place? Let us dig deeper and find out the answers for ourselves. 

Brendan Gallagher involved in ice-hockey ‘foul’-play

Gallagher, while advancing towards the Islanders’ goal, delivered a brutal elbow to Adam Pelech’s head. This hit is particularly concerning for both Pelech and his team. Pelech had been out for almost a month as he had to sit out for twenty games. This happened as he suffered a brutal upper-body injury, from which he recovered only recently. Unfortunately, with another possibility of an injury brewing, the team would pray for his fast recovery. 

As for Gallagher, although this was the first instance of him getting suspended, he has always been quite aggressive in his approach. In November 2021, Gallagher was slapped with a hefty fine of $2500 for punching Barclay Goodrow, a fellow New York Ranger. However, even as the controversy settled in, the match did go as expected for the Canadiens. 

Gallagher’s team was in the lead right from the beginning. However, the Islanders came right back by scoring consecutive goals in the powerplay. Just when a draw was looking inevitable, Sean Monahan saved the day for the Canadiens, scoring in the last minute and securing a 4-3 win in the game. 

Meanwhile, online fans had a lot to say about the controversial foul of the match. 

Netizens comment on the vicious foul

The post from Frank Seravalli garnered a lot of reactions. As expected, most of the comments aligned with the decision to suspend Gallagher. 

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One fan stated that the verdict completely made sense. 

Another fan felt that the offense was punishable for a minimum of 10 games. 

A third user wanted to confirm if the foul was a reaction to a previous incident in the game. 

Another user stated that the foul deserved a minimum of 10 games suspension for Gallagher. He also said that although he did admire Gallagher, such an act was unacceptable. 

This fan too, echoed the same sentiment saying that the punishment was only half of what he deserved. 

Do you think the suspension is too lenient? Let us know your opinions in the comments below. 

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