Pierre Luc-Dubois saw his night end early in the Capitals\u2019 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Midway through the third period, officials assessed Dubois a match penalty for intent to injure following an incident with Blues forward Robert Thomas<\/a>. Thomas set a pick on a puckless Dubois at the faceoff circle before Dubois wrapped his arms around him, pulling them both to the ice.<\/p>\n Thomas hit his head in the fall and did not return to the game; Blues head coach Jim Montgomery later confirmed<\/a> that Thomas was healthy and had passed concussion protocol.<\/p>\n Officials upheld Dubois\u2019 match penalty after video review, with an additional interference penalty called on Thomas for the initial contact.<\/p>\n Dubois was visibly incensed after the review, seemingly calling the decision \u201cf***ing bulls**t\u201d as he went to the locker room.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re a lip reader, you can tell what Dubois\u2019 sentiments were,\u201d noted Capitals play-by-play commentator Joe Beninati.<\/p>\n Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery leveled his own criticism of the call postgame, highlighting Thomas\u2019 interference beforehand.<\/p>\n \u201cThe issue that I have with that play is \u2014 so they call the penalty. Robert Thomas is obviously setting a pick there on Dubie, where he\u2019s impeding his ability to skate through and continue to check the player that he was trying to check,\u201d Carbery said<\/a>. \u201cSo he\u2019s getting interfered with, and now he\u2019s trying to get around him, and then they get wrapped up.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate that Thomas gets injured there, but to me, he initiates the contact \u2014 obviously, they called it interference penalty, which Thomas initiates the contact. And then they get locked up [and] go to the ground, and unfortunately, he gets hurt. But to me, that\u2019s not even close to a match penalty the way that I saw it, on the replay, 10 or 12 times.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a tough one,\u201d added<\/a> Matt Roy<\/a>. \u201cI don\u2019t agree with that one, but it is what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n Dylan Strome<\/a> took specific issue with officials\u2019 characterization of Dubois\u2019 motives, arguing that Dubois would not have deliberately injured an opponent.<\/p>\n