John Tavares isn't known for being a a dirty player, but everyone has their limits. Last night Tavares reached his limit in the game against the Edmonton Oilers. Now Tavares must sit and wait to find out how the department of Player Safety feels about the slash.
Early in the 3rd period Tavares parked himself in front of the Oilers net, a place he frequented last night. Rookie defender Vincent Desharnais tried to clear Tavares, but was unsuccessful. Desharnais then delivered multiple cross checks to the back of Tavares.
It was only at that point that the referee thought a penalty should be called. Instead of just calling the slash, the referee then felt it was time to call both players. The officials sent both Tavares and Desharnais to the box for coincidental minors.