Nathaniel is a good ole Canadian boy from the rock. He doesn't start fights, but he sure as hell finishes them. To be caught up in one who ever is on the receiving end of his wrath for sure had it coming. Maybe they ran the goalie? took a cheap shot at one of the younger Philly players? Tried to run Barca from behind? All of these are good and valid reasons for dropping the gloves.
Funnily enough this didn't happen in the last game of the season, but the 3rd last for Philly, and the dumbasses in head office decided to hand down a 2 game suspension for instigating to Barca, so it was his final game of the season. Making a routine play to dig the puck from a dump in to the corner, the fore checker decided then would be a good time to charge and get the elbow up. With the political climate simmering the pot to a full boil going on in the background and Nathaniel's vocal anger directed towards politicians, and his "Elbows up" shirts in pre game it was probably a matter of time. The opponent didn't make it to a penalty box, instead got pulled off for a concussion check. The good news to him is he doesn't have any brain cells left to lose.