Replacement*
Checked out
So now we're supposed to expect our players to send out requests to others if it's fine to send them a pass? What's Hall supposed to do - text Yak and ask him if he's ready for a pass? In hockey, you're supposed to be skating with your stick on or near the ice, especially so when your team has the puck. Everyone is a viable target for that pass. That mistake is all on Yak.
Because passing the puck to covered middle ice makes all kinds of sense with Stamkos nearby. For instance looking at what actually transpired on the play.
The simple play is Hall skating the puck out or chipping the puck out. he had entirely free ice to do that. How is it unreasonable to suggest he should've done that?
A pass to ownzone center ice that is contested is inherently risky, I would think obviously. Perhaps why so much playoff hockey you see clubs transition puck carefully up sides when other options are unavailable you know, teams that play playoff quality hockey. Not this garbage that we play forcing bad passes into ill advised areas of ice.