Taylor Hall Walks Free After Concussing Sanderson, and the Senators Are Furious About It

Here's what went down: Carolina Hurricanes forward Taylor Hall delivered a hit on Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson in Game 3 on Thursday night, and the NHL just decided there's nothing to punish beyond the two-minute penalty Hall drew on the ice. But Sanderson? He's out for Game 4 with a concussion, and Ottawa coach Travis Green is absolutely livid about it.

The Hit That Changed Game 3

In the second period with 15:36 left on the clock, Sanderson was playing the puck behind his own net when Hall arrived on the forecheck. Hall's shoulder connected with Sanderson's head, and the defenseman's helmet flew off. The on-ice officials handed Hall a two-minute illegal check to the head penalty, but that was it. No match penalty. No review. Nothing else.

Sanderson gutted it out until 9:53 left in the second period, then pulled himself out of the game. "He's not doing very well. Won't play tomorrow," Green said on Friday. That's coach-speak for "he got his bell rung and he's done."

Why This Matters

Sanderson was Ottawa's leading scorer among defensemen during the regular season with 54 points in 67 games. Losing him for Game 4 is a massive blow when the Hurricanes are already up 3-0 in the series and going for a first-round sweep on Saturday afternoon. Green was visibly angry after the game that the officials didn't escalate the play for further review, and now the league has backed that up by declining supplemental discipline on Hall.

The Senators had no answer on the ice Thursday night, and now they've got even fewer answers heading into their must-win Game 4.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.