I wanted to post that question since Richards got penalized for what appeared to be a legal hit: he kept his elbow tucked in and didn't leave his skates. Hell, Ovechkin always launches himself when he hits people. Obviously the hit gave way to a 1000 post thread at HFboards in short order.

Anyway, iirc Richards got a 5 minute Charging penalty and a game misconduct. The hit was reviewed for a possible suspension but none was given, since he didn't break any rules. That being the case, he shouldn't have even been given a penalty to be honest. I tend to agree that split second decisions by the players can lead to bad situations like that...but dammit, you gotta keep your head up!