Andrew Gross

Staff Writer, @AGrossRecord

As reported on Sunday, the Capitals’ Tom Wilson faced no NHL supplementary discipline for his hard check that left Devils defenseman John Moore knocked out on the ice at 3:10 of the first period of Saturday’s 6-2 loss to Washington, a check that was not penalized at the time.

Moore suffered a concussion and is on injured reserve after being taken off the ice on a stretcher, initially being motionless on the ice before testing all four limbs.

Moore was turned with his numbers to Wilson so the Devils felt Wilson should not have followed through on the check, which whiplashed Moore’s head violently into the glass. Wilson said after the game he held up.

The Devils obviously thought otherwise and Luke Gazdic, who fought Wilson late in the second period on the first shift the two shared on the ice, said he “didn’t like” Wilson’s hit.

Taylor Hall acknowledged he was a little surprised the NHL did not take any action after reviewing the play.

“A little bit,” Hall said. “The NHL, by not doing anything, says that’s a clean hit and I’m not sure I agree with it. Hockey’s a fast game. I don’t think guys mean to do that on purpose. Certainly, that’s a hit you don’t like to see.”

Devils coach John Hynes said there might be some uncertainty around the league in terms of what is considered a clean hit and what is not.

“The more and more it’s gone on, like the hit with John the other night, there is some controversy in what is legal and what is not legal, what gets suspended,” Hynes said. “As coaches and players, we just have to try to do the best job to get educated by the league on what’s legal and what’s not.

“During the game, the referee said it was not a dirty, malicious hit,” Hynes added. “His back was turned but it wasn’t a hit to the head. It’s difficult. His back was turned fully. He got hit pretty hard into the boards. The league makes those decisions. Unfortunately for us and Johnny, it didn’t work out in our favor.”

Moore was reported to be feeling better and around the Devils’ facility as he begins his recuperation. Obviously, with a concussion, there is no timetable that can be set.

For the most part, though, the Devils’ concern was not over whether Wilson would face league discipline, but Moore’s health.

“I actually haven’t had the opportunity to watch the hit too many more times on video so I can’t really comment on what really happened in the game,” defenseman Jon Merrill said. “It’s one of those things where our biggest concern is Moorsey’s healthy. We got word after the game that Moorsey was doing all right and I think that’s most important. Whatever the league tries to do after that is in their hands and we just want our guy to be all right.”

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