Definitely a legal hit. Does seem like a bit much though. Players typically lighten up this late into a game that the other team has no hope of winning. Late in the game, when players start taking huge slap shots or going into major celebrations it rubs the other team the wrong way.
It's a full contact game, and there's always a risk of injury. Increasing that risk when the game is already, for all intents and purposes, over has no effect other than to injure another player.
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