Big Bad Flyers Strike Again
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In the Flyers 6-3 loss to the Bruins yesterday the Flyers took out their 4th player, and second Bruin, on a questionable hit. In their first game against each other since Randy Jones knocked out Patrice Bergeron with a hit from behind, an injury from which Bergeron has still not healed, Scott Hartnell was given a five minute boarding penalty for bashing the Bruin Andrew Alberts' head into the glass as Alberts slid along the ice on one knee. The Flyers were trailing 5-2 at the time. Alberts left the game and did not return joining Dean McAmmond, Ryan Kesler, and Bergeron on the list of victims of Flyers assaults.
Much like the Jones hit on Bergeron, it is difficult to believe that Hartnell intended to injure Alberts. At the same time, the score was 5-2 towards the end of the second period. In situations like that, the losing team typically goes out of its way to "finish" its checks. The question now is will Hartnell be suspended.
Much like the Jones' scenario, based on the hit alone I don't think a suspension is warranted. However, it is past the point when you can look at these four incidents and believe they are not related. They are not isolated incidents. The first three suspensions have done nothing to bring the Flyers back within the rules, so now what do you do?
On that note, I am a little dissapointed with the Bruins response. They went into the game intent on playing hockey and not seeking retribution for the Bergeron injury. Then, with a 3 goal lead the Bruins decided not to seek retaliation for the hit on Alberts. Captain Zdeno Chara stated, It's something we talked about...We probably ended up with some bruises, but we have two points and that's the most important thing right now. It's up to the league to address things like that."
What has happened to the NHL? Once upon a time, incidents like this:
Led to games like this:
The notion that that the Bruins would sit idly back and say that getting the two points was more important that protecting not just one, but two fellow players flies in the face of what the NHL is all about.
Its not up to the league to sort it out as Chara says. The league will issue whatever ruling it issues, but letting the league deal with it creates the problem, it does not solve it. Take for example the Bergeron hit. Before the NHL lockout, no NHL player would be caught dead turning his back and facing the boards with the puck behind the net as a matter of self-preservation. Hockey is a tough sport and you simply did not put yourself in the position to be exploited or injured. And in the rare circumstances that someone did take liberties with a player, his team would make sure that there were repurcussions. Somce people scoff at the notion, but the NHL really did police itself.
In today's NHL, the policing is done from the league offices. Punishment is meted out for running afoul of the rules and punishment is meted out for players imposing their own "sanctions." As a reult, players feel freer to put themselves in vulnerable situations and players feel freer to take liberties with each other. After all, the league may choose to punish Hartnell by suspending him for a few games, but that pales in comparison to the broken nose, bloody face and/or swollen eye that would have been his "penalty" 5 years ago.
UPDATE: Hartnell was suspended for 2 games by the NHL.
