According to Jeff Marek, New Jersey Devils forward Stefan Noesen will not receive any supplemental discipline for his hit on Buffalo Sabres’ forward Tage Thompson.
On Sunday afternoon, at the 5:11 mark of the third period, Noesen hit Thompson near the Devils’ blue line. The Sabres’ star player, listed as 6-foot-6, was leaning forward toward the puck. It resulted in Noesen making contact with Thompson’s head.
“Definitely a hit that you don’t like,” Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said. “That penalty was well deserved. I know I had a couple of guys that wanted to go after him right away.”
Noesen received a match penalty and was ejected from the game after playing 13:02.
Despite the Sabres’ 4-3 regulation win over the Devils, hockey fans in Buffalo were angry about the team’s lack of response after Noesen’s hit. After the game, team captain Rasmus Dahlin spoke about his team’s lack of response.
“We have to work on that,” Dahlin said. “That cannot happen again.”
During his post-game media availability, Ruff confirmed that Thompson was “good and passed all the tests.”
The Devils’ next game is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 4, against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Through 52 games, Noesen has 30 points (18 goals, 12 assists). The 31-year-old has nine goals on the power play, tied with Nico Hischier for the most on the team.
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