Jakob Chychrun knocks Nick Cousins out cold, and officials make a stunning decision

A heavy hit from Jakob Chychrun became the story of the Washington Capitals' 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.

Nick Cousins went down on the play and is reportedly dealing with an upper-body injury.

Officials reviewed the hit for a major penalty, but in the end no penalty was assessed.

Social media reacted almost instantly, with one post describing Cousins as out cold after Chychrun blew him up in the neutral zone.

Cousins played 12:12 before leaving, which tells you how quickly the night changed for him.

A second angle of the hit followed, and it fed the debate over the call.

The officials went to the review to decide whether the contact deserved a major, a process that usually comes down to the point of contact and whether the hit was avoidable.

They said the play was clean and let the game continue.

Cousins is a depth forward, but his absence would still be felt on a Senators team that just lost a one-goal game to a conference rival.

His status is now uncertain for Thursday's home game against the Colorado Avalanche, a stiff test for a lineup that may have to shuffle its bottom six on short notice.

The bigger question is the precedent.

When a review ends with no penalty, the conversation tends to move to the league office.

Whether NHL Player Safety takes a closer look at Chychrun's hit is worth watching, since a play that draws this much attention and leaves a player hurt often gets a second review even after officials decline to call anything.

For Washington, the hit is a reminder of the physical edge Chychrun brings from the blue line, and of the thin line between a punishing check and a penalty.

The Capitals walked away with two points and no penalty.

Ottawa is left waiting on Cousins and wondering how the officials saw it.

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