Hamilton being called a coward, and worse, after the most embarrassing play of the season.

I have to be honest here, I do not care who you are, what team you play for, or what position you play, when you are in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and your season is on the line in each and every game you simply can not allow moments like this to occur.

On Saturday night the Carolina Hurricanes were facing off against the Washington Capitals in a critical Game 5 during their first round series in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Both teams entered the game with 2 victories under their belt and not only would Game 5 serve to break the tie but it would also give one team a shot at moving on in Game 6. Unfortunately for the Hurricanes not only were they not that team but at no point during the game did it look as if they had any chance of picking up the victory on Saturday night. The Capitals dominated them from bell to bell and by the time it was all said and done the Hurricanes had suffered a soul crushing 6 - 0 blowout loss at the hands of the defending Stanley Cup Champions.

Now in a loss that bad and that one sided there is no doubt that no single player on the Hurricanes roster is to blame, but rather the team as a whole needs to shoulder the weight of this uninspired performance if they hope to turn things around quickly for Game 6. That being said though there was clearly one play that stood head and shoulders above the rest as the worst moment of the night for the Carolina Hurricanes, and frankly it was one of the most embarrassing things I have seen in an NHL game in recent memory.

The Hurricanes were already down 2 - 0 at this point and were in the second period of play when the Capitals made a routine clearing attempt and buried the puck deep in the Hurricanes' zone. Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton was racing for the puck with Washington Capitals captain hot on his heels, but what happened as they approached the puck left many fans speechless, shocked, or even outraged. 

I won't spoil it for those who have not seen it and I will let you see for yourself, but listen to how the broadcast tries to cover for Hamilton in contrast to how Pierre McGuire is in utter disbelief at what he has just witnessed from Hamilton. 

Unsurprisingly fans were brutal on social media with many being very quick to label Hamilton an outright coward.

Even fans of Hamilton were quick to point out just how awful of a play this was.

And those are just some of the ones we can actually show you.