You technically can't crosscheck a player in the chest right off the draw, so that's a legitimate penalty.
The fact that it caused injury elevated it to a major.
They did call the wrong player though.
If this is the rationale of the NHL they deserve what they get in terms of being considered a respective joke league amongst the major NA sports. A call ought to be based on what the actual infraction was, not what injury result culminated from the players own awkward fall. Pavelski slammed himself into the ice essentially. This is not a situation where he was concussed standing up, or knocked out and going down like a sack of potatoes (in that instance if there is a headshot that causes a player to lose motor control then yes the perpetrator should be responsible) But not for a hit like this wherein the injury is actually due to Pavelski's own fall, while being completely conscious.
My lord. One of the first things you ever hear when you lace up skates is if you fall don't fall straight backwards onto your head. Don't do that. Don't ever do that.
Alternately kids are taught;
1)Protect your head. If falling backwards just cradle your head with your arms/ hands, you'll be fine. Protect the head.
2) Simply bend over. While falling just bend your back, motion forward, go into a fetal, this makes it impossible to hit your head straight back.
3)Contort body on way down so you fall on side, but not directly backwards.
4)Fall on arms and break fall instead of falling back on head.
Any of the above or combination thereof completely mitigates injury in this circumstance.
What occurs to Pavelski there is simply due to his own bad fall. Not falling properly. How is that Eakins fault that Pavelski doesn't have the on ice sense that a preschooler would be taught regarding on ice safety?