Flames' Lucic delivers dangerous check, punches Jets' Neal Pionk

Calgary Flames forward Milan Lucic is known for being a physical presence, but the 32-year-old crossed the line during Friday night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets.

With under 10 minutes remaining in the contest, Lucic threw a very dangerous body check onto a vulnerable Mason Appleton which sent the Jets forward head-first into the boards. The hit drew a crowd, including blueliner Neal Pionk who was unsuspectingly punched in the face by Lucic.

In total, Lucic picked up four penalty minutes – two for boarding and another two for roughing. Lucic’s recklessness put his team in a very bad position, down a man and trailing late in the game. Calgary went on to lose 3-2, earning its fourth-straight loss.

NHL Player Safety hasn’t announced that there will be any further disciplinary action. Lucic hasn’t been suspended since punching Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Kole Sherwood in November of 2019. He was suspended two games for the incident.

The Jets and the Flames resume action on Saturday, playing the second of what will be three-straight games between the two teams.

Calgary currently occupies sixth in the North Division, sitting four points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the fourth and final playoff seed. The Flames have played four more games than the Habs, however, which makes their path to the playoffs a little more difficult.

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