Actually, I wouldnt even call it a hit..5 minute major and a 10 minute game misconduct for this? Usually I want to say the refs dont see anything until a guy is laying down, but they were going after the puck..This is a very bad call, seems they like to call one a night, some are warranted, some are questionable, but this one is ridiculous. Habs scored on the power play.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak783bx543c

a shoving major.  Sold only like a hab could.

In response to 86redsox's comment:

I don't think Gorges tried to sell anything. I think it knocked him off balance, which is fine, but by no means a boarding.

I would say it's boarding because of how Brown positioned himself to Gorges instead of the puck, but a minor, not a major, and certainly not a misconduct. Brown's arm follows through onto Gorges numbers (closer to the nameplate actually) so it is from behind and not the side, so I think that's a boarding minor. Of course, they seem to decide what the difference between a minor, major and a misconduct is willy-nilly sometimes, so I can't even tell the difference anymore. 

Keep in mind, boarding only requires that the check result in a player hitting the boards 'violently'.  There's lots of subjectivity to it.  A minor seems certain for this hit, but a major let alone the misconduct seem a stretch.

I don't even think it's even a penalty.  

I don't say that because I know the rule so clearly, but because I think I know a boarding when I see one, and that was a check from the side that happened to cause Gorges to lose balance.

Agree with Red....2 min boarding call. That's about it.

Kerry Fraser has a column on TSN.ca and when there are controversial hits , plays ,  I usually like to read his insights fron the former ref.. Here is his take on the hit...

 

"Given the player's distance from the end boards where contact was initiated, combined with the extra push that Brown applied on the hit and resulted in Gorges being thrown violently into the boards, a major penalty for boarding was warranted under Rule 41.3. Since there was no injury to the face or head of Gorges, a game misconduct to Brown would not apply as per the boarding rule."

In response to cowboys9's comment:

Oh come on Fraser.  I wouldn't call that "violently".  Too much hairspray today.

"Extra push on the hit"....looked like just a single push with no hit involved. ..Just sticking up for his fellow refs. Shocker.