Maple Leafs’ John Tavares fined $5,000 for slashing

For the first time in more than a decade, John Tavares has landed in the principal’s office.

On Sunday afternoon, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced it had fined the Toronto Maple Leafs captain $5,000, the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement, for slashing Edmonton Oilers defenseman Vincent Desharnais during Toronto’s 7-4 win Saturday night.

The incident happened early in the third period when Tavares and the hulking Desharnais were battling in front of the Oilers net. Tavares absorbed a series of cross checks from Desharnais before retaliating with a spirited two-hand chop to the Desharnais’ gloved hand.

Both players were penalized for the skirmish, with Desharnais receiving a two-minute minor for cross-checking and Tavares receiving two minutes for slashing. Tavares’ act, however, appeared to have more intent behind it to inflict pain on his opponent, given he was in an agitated state.

It’s the first fine Tavares, 32, has received from the NHL’s DOPS since Nov. 2011. Then a New York Islander, he was fined $2,500 for slashing then-New Jersey Devil Zach Parise.

Tavares hurt Edmonton on the scoresheet Saturday night, too, burying two second-period goals as part of a three-point night. In doing so, he crossed the 30-goal threshold for the second time as a Maple Leaf and fifth time in his 14-year NHL career. Tavares eclipsed the 1,000 game mark earlier this season and isn’t far off from a couple other major milestones, sitting at 421 goals, 79 away from 500, and 960 points, 40 away from 1,000.

Toronto’s win Saturday night was its 40th of the season. With a 40-17-8 record and 88 points, the Leafs sit four points up on their eventual playoff opponent, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in the Atlantic Division – with a game in hand.