On Friday night of the WCHA playoff series between Michigan Tech and North Dakota, North Dakota senior captain Andrew MacWilliam delivered a crushing blow to Michigan Tech forward David Johnstone. MacWilliam was given a five-minute major and a game-misconduct for the hit, presumably because the refs thought it looked malicious. The hit was actually a very clean shoulder-to-shoulder hit that Johnstone was just on the wrong side of. According to John Buccigross, Johnstone was hurt pretty badly on the play and understandably so. Johnstone is 5’11” 185 lbs while MacWilliam is 6’2″ 230 lbs; needless to say the size difference came into play here.
Send your best to Michigan Tech's @djohnstone21 Broken clavicle, bruised lungs, bruised ribs, & separation of sternum after hit last nite
— Bucci Mane (@Buccigross) March 16, 2013
North Dakota won Game 1 on Friday night 5-3, but Michigan Tech won Game 2 on Saturday 2-1. The three-game playoff series plays the decisive Game 3 on Sunday, with the winner moving on to the XCEL Energy Center in Minneapolis.
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