Roman Polak Earns Praise For His Defense Of Frederik Andersen

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January 3, 2018 (4:56 PM)

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"Things got a bit feisty during the closing seconds of the first period of Tuesday night's 2-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The action started when Tampa forward Vladislav Namestnikov made contact with Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen and then shoved him. This did not sit well with Roman Polak who went after Namestikov and then also had to deal with Corey Conacher.

Polak got a minor for cross-checking Namestnikov and a roughing call for mixing it up with Conacher, who was given a slashing minor for his actions. Namestnikov was not penalized for his contact with Andersen.
Head coach Mike Babcock was asked about the play after the game and he was quick to praise his veteran defender.
«I just thought that the way the league is set up is you protect the goalie,» Babcock said, per Maple Leafs Hot Stove. «Our goalie held his stick. He then cross-checked him. To me, when you cross-check the goalie, you deserve a good beating. To me, I just find a way to know what is going on in the game. You let that thing all even out. What I would say to you is this: The referee and the linesmen are trying to get it right. It's going fast. It's hard. They're not trying to screw anybody. They're doing the best they possibly can. I just thought that was a situation that should've been 50/50. When you hit someone's goalie, you deserve a good pop.»"

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