Kucherov Escapes Punishment After Throwing Massive Elbow To Tom Wilson

Nikita Kucherov might need to watch his back the next time he squares off against the Washington Capitals, especially after what went down in their recent matchup.

On Saturday, Kucherov and the Tampa Bay Lightning went head-to-head with the Capitals in a game with huge playoff implications for Washington. With emotions running high, there were fireworks on both ends of the ice throughout the game.

Kucherov didn't shy away from the intensity, getting involved in some late second-period drama with Capitals' tough guy Tom Wilson. In what looked like a clear cheap shot, Kucherov delivered an elbow to Wilson's face, as seen in the replay.




In the video, it's evident that Kucherov checks over his shoulder and spots Wilson approaching before throwing the elbow.
The intent seems pretty clear.

Despite no penalty being called during the game, the incident has sparked questions about potential intervention from the NHL's Department of Player Safety, given the apparent intentional blow to the head.

Source: Hockeyfeed
Nikita Kucherov takes out Tom Wilson with an elbow to the face.