"Dan Girardi felt his head was the principal point of contact. Alex Ovechkin said he hit shoulder first.
Those were their stances after Ovechkin was called for charging Girardi with 7:43 left in the second period during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, a 3-2 victory for the Caps that evened the best-of-seven series at 2-2. Washington's Brooks Laich carried the puck into the Rangers zone and lost control of it. The puck squirted toward Ovechkin, who skated it and delivered the blow to Girardi.
Girardi was able to stay in the game, but he wasn't happy with the hit afterward.
"He hit me in the head first," Girardi said. "I think it was the right call. I'm not sure what it was, whether it was charging or interference or whatever, but my head's there, and he hits it. But I think he was just playing the game hard. I don't know.""
