Braden Holtby says Henrik Lundqvist shouldn't have been penalized for knocking his net off its moorings in an act of frustration Thursday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“I think he did the right thing,” the Washington Capitals goaltender said Friday, according to Chuck Gormley of CSN Mid-Atlantic.
“I thought it was absurd he got penalized for it. You get hit in the head as a goalie, you can’t skate to the bench for a line change. You’re seeing stars, you can’t see the puck, you have no other option. It was the wrong call and I felt bad for him.”
Lundqvist knocked his net off after teammate Ryan McDonagh collided with him in the first period of the 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh.
The netminder later left the game, and head coach Alain Vigneault said afterward that Lundqvist was treated for neck spasms. He won't start Friday when the Capitals host the Rangers at Verizon Center.
“I don’t think he should be (criticized) one bit,” Holtby said. “You’ve got to look at our position for what it is. We get hit in the head a lot and we don’t have the protective helmets for getting hit like that. It jars your head around.
“Most people know that when you get hit like that you don’t really feel it until a few seconds after. His first instinct was to get back in the play so he couldn’t really stay down. You can’t go for a line change so you’ve got to get help in different areas.”
Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury didn't exactly share Holtby's opinion, calling Lundqvist's actions "baby stuff" when asked about them after Thursday's game.
The Rangers and Penguins will renew acquaintances March 13 at Madison Square Garden.
