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Oilers' Zack Kassian to have Monday hearing after altercation with Tkachuk

Edmonton Oilers forward Zack Kassian will have a hearing Monday with the NHL's department of player safety following his altercation with Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk during Saturday night's game.

Calls Flames forward 'young punk' and adds hits against him were 'targeted'

The Canadian Press ·
Fans, former players and pundits weighed in on the Flames-Oilers fisticuffs, but Matthew Tkachuk hopes to leave it all on the ice come NHL all-star weekend. (Derek Leung/Getty Images)

Edmonton Oilers forward Zack Kassian will have a hearing Monday with the NHL's department of player safety following his altercation with Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk during Saturday night's game.

Kassian took offence to a hit from Tkachuk in the second period of Edmonton's 4-3 loss, throwing off his gloves and punching the Flames winger while tossing him to the ice twice.

Kassian received a double-roughing minor and 10-minute misconduct on the play at 18:06 of the second period and the game tied 3-3. Tkachuk was not penalized.

Edmonton killed off the first penalty, but 39 seconds into the third period, while working on the second minor, Elias Lindholm snapped a shot from just inside the face-off circle that beat Mikko Koskinen over his shoulder for the eventual winning goal.

"You don't let people take advantage of you no matter what the situation is," Kassian said, defending his actions.

'I got him three times'

"If you're going to hit like that, you have to answer the bell every once in a while. He's just a young punk that has to figure that aspect out in the game."

WATCH | Lindholm scores a pair to help the Flames edge the Oilers:

Game Wrap: Lindholm, Flames squeeze past Oilers in Battle of Alberta

5 years ago
Duration 1:48
Elias Lindholm scored a pair of goals to help the Calgary Flames just past the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in the Battle of Alberta
Said Tkachuk: "If he doesn't want to get hit, then stay off the tracks. I got him three times there. You'd think he'd learn after the first one.

"If he wants to react like that, we'll take the power play, we'll take the game-winner and we'll move on in first place."

Kassian called the hits "targeted" and was unhappy Tkachuk didn't engage.

The 28-year-old Kassian has 13 goals, 28 points and 64 penalty minutes in 44 games this season.

The Oilers, who return to the ice Tuesday against Nashville, will host Calgary on Jan. 29.

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