New Jersey Devils Star Timo Meier Likely to Face Suspension for Vicious Cross Check to the Face
The Devils du New Jersey
New Jersey Devils picked up a much needed win over the Nashville Predators, but now it may come at a cost as Timo Meier faces a huge suspension.
After major struggles a season ago, the New Jersey Devils have taken huge steps forward this season, and with a 15-7-2 record, they're making their mark on the league as a genuine Stanley Cup contender.
Their latest win came over the Nashville Predators on Monday night, but it wasn't all good for the team, as they were pushed around physically throughout the game, forcing them to react.
React they did, as veteran Timo Meier was given a five-minute major to go along with a match penalty after he cross checked Zachary L'Heureux to the face, with the 21-year old injured, not to return to the game.
Given the match penalty and the injury to L'Heureux, unsurprisingly, calls have begun on social media for the NHL's Department of Player Safety to get involved, with the injury to his opponent playing a big role in their potential decision.
In recent times, the DoPS has come under plenty of scrutiny for their inconsistency, but given the black and white nature of a cross check to the face, rather than hits that potentially targeted the head, meaning there shouldn't be much controversy around a decision here.
However, it appears that Devils fans believe this move was justified from Meier, and while the team were being dominated physically, that's no excuse for potentially causing intentional harm to an opponent.
Given the inconsistencies from the DoPS in recent times, it's hard to predict just what will happen to Meier after this play, but given how unnecessary it seemed combined with the injury, it's safe to say that at the very least, there's a fine coming the way of the Devils veteran.
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Brandon Hagel | - | 5 | 5 | |
| Sebastian Aho | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Nico Hischier | 3 | - | 3 | |
| Macklin Celebrini | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Jakob Chychrun | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Seth Jarvis | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Nikita Kucherov | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Zachary Bolduc | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Will Cuylle | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Lars Eller | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Jake Guentzel | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Alex Iafallo | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Ivan Ivan | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Ivan Barbashev | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Drake Batherson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Simon Edvinsson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jack Eichel | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Morgan Frost | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Miro Heiskanen | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 22 | 18 | 4 | - | 36 | |
Devils | 24 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 32 | |
Hurricanes | 21 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 31 | |
Wild | 21 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 30 | |
Golden Knights | 22 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 30 | |
Capitals | 21 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 29 | |
Maple Leafs | 21 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 28 | |
Flames | 22 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 27 | |
Stars | 20 | 13 | 7 | - | 26 | |
Rangers | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 25 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||