The NHL is under fire after a controversial fines in the Canadiens-Capitals series

On Monday, the NHL fined Arber Xhekaj and Dylan McIlrath individually for "unsportsmanlike conduct," while also fining the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals organizations.

However, according to Renaud Lavoie, the only player who should have been sanctioned was Alex Ovechkin and while speaking on Jean-Charles Lajoie's show, Renaud Lavoie explained that video footage clearly shows Ovechkin crossing into Montreal half during warmups and initiating contact with Arber Xhekaj at center ice which is a violation of NHL warmup conduct rules.

Meanwhile, Arber Xhekaj and Dylan McIlrath were penalized despite little evidence of wrongdoing.

Adding to the frustration, Pierre-Luc Dubois was also seen entering the Montreal Canadiens side of the ice and yet no action was taken against him.

The broader issue is inconsistency and dangerous play during the game which is including hits to the head and blatant cross-checks that seem to receive less attention, while minor warmup interactions are harshly punished.

As the series continues, calls for clearer standards from the Department of Player Safety are growing louder.