Why Jack Hughes' blood turned Sam Bennett's penalty into a double-minor 4 minute call originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Jack Hughes took a high stick from Sam Bennett to his face.
It was already painful, and it was already a penalty during the USA-Canada gold medal game. The United States would go on the power play.
But it wouldn't just be for two minutes. It was for four.
Here's why.
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Why did blood change the penalty call?
Blood doubles it up.
Instead of the two-minute minor penalty for the high stick, it changes it to a double minor.
A double minor makes it a four-minute penalty.
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It's a crucial chance for the United States. It came with less than seven minutes to go and the gold medal game tied 1-1.
Jack Hughes' pain could be the gain Team USA needed.
Instead, though, it changed quickly.
Hughes himself committed a high stick more than halfway through the four-minute advantage.
It makes it 49 seconds of four-on-four, followed by a Canada power play for a bit more than a minute.
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