Mark Madden: Mark Scheifele's hit has polarized hockey fans, but the incident has shades of gray

Near the conclusion of Wednesday’s NHL playoff game between Montreal and Winnipeg, the Canadiens’ Jake Evans scored a game-clinching empty-net goal on a wraparound. The Jets’ Mark Scheifele chugged into Evans just after he scored and knocked him flying.

Evans received on-ice medical treatment for 10 minutes, then got stretchered off. Evans was not hospitalized but is sidelined indefinitely.

Scheifele got a charging major and game misconduct. He is suspended for four games.

The players on the rink tussled in the aftermath. The rest of the series likely will be marred by fights because that’s hockey’s “code,” especially when Scheifele returns for Game 6 (if necessary) and has to display pugilistic skills honed by exactly one NHL fight.

Montreal’s Joel Edmundson said the Canadiens will “make (Scheifele’s) life miserable.”

Note to Edmundson: Don’t openly premeditate malfeasance. That tends to make punishment more severe. Somebody call Shenderovich, Shenderovich and Fishman.

Acting nobly was Winnipeg’s Nikolaj Ehlers, who shielded Evans from the scrum that occurred dangerously proximate.

The incident polarized fans. Some dismissed Scheifele’s hit as an unfortunate by-product of playoff hockey. Others called for Scheifele’s head on a pike, or at least a lengthy ban.

But the episode definitely has shades of gray.

Evans left himself totally vulnerable in his attempt to make a play. Is it a foe’s obligation to protect Evans in that situation, especially with the result still in doubt?

But, with the result still in doubt, stick on puck is a better play.

Scheifele took advantage of Evans’ vulnerability and put his shoulder through Evans’ chest. Combine that with the fact that Scheifele committed charging, and it’s logical to attach intent to what Scheifele did. But Scheifele did not target Evans’ head.

Fifteen or 20 years ago, that’s just a hit. A Colby Armstrong specialty.

Evans sacrificed to make a play. Scheifele maximized Evans’ sacrifice.

Brian Burke, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ president of hockey operations, appeared on my radio show Thursday.

“What else is (Scheifele) supposed to do there?” Burke said. “I didn’t like the hit. I don’t know what he could have done differently, though. You’re chasing a guy who’s trying to score in an empty net. You arrive when he gets to the side of the net and is tucking the puck in. That is not a late hit.

“(Scheifele) was trying to prevent a goal. He’s trying to disrupt a scoring chance, and he’s a hair late.”

The four-game ban erred on the side of severity. Scheifele is not a repeat offender or recognized as a dirty player. He’s guilty of not respecting Evans’ safety, but that isn’t required.

What happened is unfortunate. It’s not cause for the Spanish Inquisition. Hockey players get hurt all the time.

The violence perpetrated by Tom Wilson against Artemi Panarin and Pavel Buchnevich when Washington played at the New York Rangers on May 3 was arguably worse because play had stopped. But Wilson didn’t get punished at all.

There’s been an uptick in questionable acts since. That’s not coincidence.

There are two big problems in the aftermath of Scheifele’s hit:

• The aforementioned vicious circle. The rest of the Montreal-Winnipeg series will feature scrums and brawls spawned by the incident because hockey has a gang mentality. Scheifele will have to fight one or more Canadiens when he next plays against them. Who knows what stupidity (and injury) that spawns? It never ends. No one lets go. Suspensions don’t stop it. The players policing hockey doesn’t stop it.

Montreal’s Corey Perry injured Toronto’s John Tavares in the first-round series between the teams. Perry’s knee struck Tavares in the head as the latter fell. It was 100% an accident, and everybody knew that. But Perry had to fight anyway. It’s sheer lunacy.

• Nobody really cares, not beyond measured, calculated, fake nobility. Episodes like Wednesday’s are part of hockey, and permanently so. To not do what Scheifele did has to be automatic. But the discipline for such incidents is haphazard, so the reflex is to take your chances.

At this point, the impotent, phony outrage over events like Scheifele’s hit is more nauseating than the hit itself.