Zdeno Chara's crushing hit drove Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty's head into a turnbuckle, leaving him hospitalized with a concussion and a fractured vertebra. A firestorm ensued when the NHL failed to suspend the Bruins' defenseman. Montreal police launched an investigation, sponsor Air Canada threatened to withdraw support of the NHL, and debate swirled about the league's inability, or unwillingness, to curb violence in the sport.
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