March 10--The Chicago Blackhawks' game against the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night in St. Louis was the usual rough-and-tumble affair between the Central Division rivals but in the aftermath no player will face discipline from the NHL, according to a source.
There were big hits and even bigger hits during the Blues' 3-2 shootout victory, including when the Blues' Ryan Reaves leveled Hawks defenseman Christian Ehrhoff late in the first period. The crunching open-ice hit resulted in a five-minute charging penalty and Reaves' ejection from the contest with a game misconduct. It did not, however, result in supplemental discipline from the NHL's Department of Player Safety, the source said.
Reaves will not be punished for the hit, which was looked at but determined to be hard but legal. The NHL took several factors in consideration when reviewing the hit, including was Reaves' skates on the ice, if Ehrhoff's head was the principle point of contact and if the puck was in the vicinity.
There were several other hard checks and plenty of post-whistle skirmishes, but no player faced supplemental discipline from the game.
