Second Round Picks

Well, I went 7 for 8 with my first round picks. Not too bad, but boy was I off on the Coyotes. Such a disappointing end to their season, and now an uncertain future.

With barely a moment to catch our collective breaths after the onslaught of Game 7s, Round 2 begins tonight with the Preds facing the Canucks. Here are my second round picks:

Caps over Lightning in 5

Flyers over Bruins in 6

Canucks over Predators in 6

Sharks over Wings in 7

Game 7 overload

Remember when you were a kid and you came back from a night of trick-or-treating and you turned that bag upside down to watch all that glorious candy come cascading down in a giant wave and you surveyed your pile in all its glory debating how best to enjoy the fruits of your labor? The past two nights have been just like that for hockey fans. Four of the eight first round series were going to be decided by a Game 7, and each of them involved a great comeback of some sort. The Flyers were down 3 games to 2 and trailed game six 3-1 before rallying to win in OT and force a Game 7. The Blackhawks trailed 3-0 before going on their three game rampage. The Bruins looked lost, down 0-2, yet they too were able to win three straight before the Habs took the sixth game, setting up Game 7 between two historic rivals. Finally, the Lightning trailed three games to one before their offensive onslaught in game six in Pittsburgh shifted the momentum and led to a Game 7.

Game 7. There’s nothing better. Makes you want to just say those words out loud while sitting in your cubicle, right? Suddenly you feel more serious, more excited. There’s an idea right there. Every office should have someone just scream out “GAME 7!!!” in the afternoon over the loudspeaker. Suddenly worker productivity would jump by 100 percent for the rest of the day. Brilliant.

The past two nights we have been treated to four Game 7s, two of which went into OT. It’s almost overload. It makes you wish they could be spaced out over the span of four days so you could savor one per night. Sadly, this wasn’t the case. Instead, each fan was left staring at this marvelous pile of Game 7s, left to his own devices on how to best consume this wonderful Game 7 pile of goodness…

Tuesday night

Flyers win series 4-3

It started in Philly. Tuesday night kicked off with the Flyers hosting the Sabres in the culmination of a wild series. Who better to kick off the Game 7 festivities than Kate Smith on the Jumbotron belting out God Bless America to the whipped-into-a-frenzy fans on Broad St.? The Sabres never had a chance. Miller was bombarded in the first period as the Flyers outshot the Sabres 16 to 2. However, the Flyers weren’t able to get one past Miller until Coburn’s late shot was redirected past Miller, allowing the Flyers to take a 1-0 lead into the dressing room. This was huge. It’s possible this game might have gone very differently had the Sabres held off the Flyers and survived that first period onslaught with a 0-0 tie. We’ll never know. The Flyers never looked back. Their anemic power play suddenly clicked, tallying twice in the second, and then Leino blasted one from an impossible angle over Miller’s shoulder to make it 4-0 early in the third. Miller time was over.

Everyone knew Miller would have to be brilliant in order for the Sabres to knock off the Flyers. Even if this was every Tom, Dick, and Harry’s trendy upset pick, I wasn’t buying it. Yes, the Sabres were playing great hockey heading into the playoffs and the Flyers were struggling. Yes, the Sabres had the better goaltending. But the Flyers would come after Miller in waves, especially with their backs against the wall. That was something the Sabres hadn’t had to deal with in the regular season.

The third period was fairly anti-climactic as the Flyers eventually polished off the Sabres 5-2 to win the series. In the end it was Lindy Ruff “doing a lot of whining.” Perhaps he should tell Patrick Kaleta that maybe it’s not such a good idea to give the best postseason player over the past 5 years even MORE motivation to kick his former team in the teeth. Yet, by all accounts that’s exactly what Kaleta did. He crossed the line when he allegedly brought up the divorces that Briere and Hartnell have been through recently. So in Game 6, when the Sabres had the Flyers on the ropes (must….not……make….Rocky reference….) Kaleta stupidly lit a fire beneath Briere and the rest of Flyers with his idiotic decision to make his trash talk personal. Big mistake. I still wonder if Briere and Hartnell would have shaken Kaleta’s hand while wishing him good luck on the golf course had he actually played in Game 7. We’ll never know…

Canucks win series 4-3

No sooner had the final horn gone off to end the Philly-Buffalo series then we were transported by our friends at Versus instantly across the continent to Vancouver where the Canucks had just taken a 1-0 lead over the Blackhawks early in the first period on an Alex Burrows goal. Maybe this one was going to be a blowout, I thought? What a silly notion. It did cross my mind for a second though. Here were the Canucks, back home in front of one of the loudest crowds in sports. And they had to be pissed. The city was on the verge of full scale panic. This couldn’t really be happening, could it? Seriously? No way. This series was like an action, drama, rom-com, and arthouse indie flick all rolled into one. The mighty Canucks coming off their best season ever steamrolled to a 3-0 lead over the Blackhawks, and, even though it just happened last year, I don’t think anyone outside of the Blackhawks locker room would have predicted it would go to a Game 7 at that point. But here we were. After a heartbreaking OT defeat to the Hawks in Game 7 in which Luongo once again took the loss, we were potentially witnessing a second straight year of perhaps the most difficult thing to do in sports – come back after being down 3 games to 1.

I was pulling hard for the Canucks simply because I cringed at what the city Vancouver would have felt had the Canucks lost. Mass hara-kiri was certainly a possibility. Three straight years to the Hawks? And to have it end like this at home? This was going to be like a horror movie. And just like the killer in a horror movie the Blackhawks REFUSED to die. That 1-0 lead sat there, and sat there, and sat there. Everyone knew it wasn’t going to be enough to kill the tormentor, but the Canucks just could not solve Crawford a second time. Then the Hawks took a penalty with just over three minutes to play. That had to do it, right? Nope. Here comes Toews with the puck barreling down on Luongo. I swear as I was watching him fight off two Canuck defenders that I saw a chat bubble over Luongo’s head saying “Oh @#$%.” A weak shot by Hossa, a juicy rebound, Toews down on the ice. But the captain of the tormentors was not ready to die. This horror movie was not ready to end. Practically from his stomach Toews slapped the puck behind a sprawled out Luongo to confirm what everyone was thinking, “I knew a 1 goal lead wasn’t going to be enough…”

Here we go to OT. Tied 1-1. With all of Vancouver sharpening their blades in case their worst fears were realized. Not tonight. This horror movie would have a happy ending after all. The killer made a mistake, a turnover, and Alex Burrows grabbed the puck out of mid-air, dropped it to the ice and blitzed to the slot with the puck sitting on its edge. Still sitting on edge… Still sitting on edge? How the hell did the puck sit on edge for what seemed like an eternity? I still don’t know, and I think neither does Burrows. He doesn’t care. After overthinking his penalty shot in the second, resulting in a weak wrister that never had a chance, Burrows wasn’t doing that again. He took one look at Crawford and the net, then reared back and just ripped a slap shot that was in and out of the net so fast, I barely saw it go in. Just like that the killer was dead and the movie was over. Oh, and the roof of the Rogers Arena was practically lifted off from the noise. All the talk of psychology and demons and playoff jinxes and disastrous collapses and history and comebacks was all done. All the bushido blades were being placed back in their sheaths. There would be no wake tonight. Only a massive party. I heard one quote that summed up the night for the Canucks perfectly, “What a wonderful day for an exorcism.” The Canucks had defeated their nemesis and were moving on.

Two Game 7s down. Two more to go on Wednesday….

Wednesday night

Bruins win series 4-3

In a game that was overshadowed by the two Game 7s taking place on the same night, the Habs rode two power play goals (both coming with a 2-man advantage) to a game six victory, setting up a second Game 7 on Wednesday night between the two archrivals. The B’s jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, but a timeout by Martin settled the Habs down. Over the past couple seasons I’ve noticed the timeout being used with more frequency earlier in games in order to slow momentum and allow a team a chance to regroup. Once again, it worked. Just when it looked like the Bruins were going to run the Habs out of the building, the momentum seemed to shift a bit back to the Habs. The Habs capitalized on a power play to cut the lead to 2-1, then tied it on Tomas Plekanec’s shorthanded breakaway goal. Chris Kelly gave the Bruins a 3-2 lead, but then, you guessed it, a late penalty for a careless high stick by Patrice Bergeron gave the Habs another powerplay, and a PK Subban laser tied the game with 1:57 left in the third.

The Boston faithful tried booing Subban all game, but it came off as kind of a weak retaliation for the Habs booing of Chara in Montreal, and not nearly as loud. After his goal, Subban showed why he is so hated even at such a young age by blowing a quick kiss to the crowd and motioning to them as if saying, “Come on! Where’s the noise now?!” There’s no question this kid has talent. His laser of a shot to tie the game just reinforced that. He had a very good series, and he may very well be a future All-Star. However, he needs to tone it down a bit before he joins the realm of Matt Cooke and Sean Avery. Right now, he’s in the tier just below those two along with guys like Patrick Kaleta, Dan Carcillo, and Steve Ott. Somehow, I don’t think he will. He seems to enjoy being hated and acting like a punk. It will be interesting to see how his career progresses.

So, on we went to our second OT in a Game 7 in two nights with Nathan Horton blasting a shot that appeared to be redirected on its way past Price. The Bruins, once down 2-0 in the series and looking dead, had come back to win the series without scoring a single power play goal, going 0 for 21 in the series. Yikes. In fact, they were -1 because of the shorthanded goal by Plekanec in Game 7. Conversely, the Habs didn’t score a single even strength goal in either of the last two games. They had 4 power play markers and the shortie. I’m telling you, you can’t script this stuff even if you tried.

Lightining win series 4-3

Another series with a comeback story. It seems like a long time ago that Dwayne Roloson was practically single-handedly trying to steal the Stanley Cup with Edmonton before an injury knocked him out of the final series. The Oilers never really recovered and Carolina eventually triumphed. Roloson was back in the play-offs and back to his old tricks. Darren Pang interviewed him after game 6, I believe, and started off by asking Roli the Goalie if he knew what his record was in elimination games in the postseason. Roloson’s reaction was classic. This was even better than watching Cammalleri do his best Gladiator impression and giving one-word answers during his interview before taking the ice. He basically said “No, I don’t, and I don’t want to know, so don’t tell me.” Classic. Superstition lives on.

Roli was brilliant again in Game 7, making 36 saves to steal the show. However, the amazing this in this game was that a Dominic Moore no-look-behind-the-net-pass to Sean Bergenheim worked AGAIN! When I saw this work in game six I was impressed, but to see Game 7’s only goal come from virtually the same play was just too much. Yes, it was slightly different. The first time he used a forehand pass and was completely behind the net. The second time he was driving behind the net and used a backhand pass. But still. To see that work twice, in two games, involving the same two players? Crazy. And impressive. Here’s a tip to the Caps d-men. Might want to be careful about overcommitting when Moore dips behind the net. Just a suggestion.

In the end, the Penguins just missed their star players too much to finish off the Lightning. While still a very dangerous team (they outshot Tampa Bay 36-23 in the final game) they just didn’t have the goal scoring and leadership provided by Crosby and Malkin. Yes, they even missed what Matt @#$%ing Cooke brings to the table. It will be interesting to see what moves the Penguins will make in the offseason, but they are as deep and talented as any team in the league at every position. The Lightning, on the other hand, face a very difficult challenge against the Caps in the next round.

Looking back at Day 1

Looking back at Day 1

Shifts. It’s often said that everything in the playoffs is magnified. Part of that is simply the increased scrutiny that comes along with the higher stakes in the playoffs, but much of it is true. You can practically feel momentum shifts in games that would barely register a blip if it were a regular season game. That is why the first game of a series can be so crucial, especially to teams that are feeling even more pressure because of recent playoff hiccups. The two teams feeling the most pressure last night were the Canucks and the Capitals. While they both ended up with wins, their journeys were markedly different.

Capitals 2, Rangers 1 (OT)

The Caps came into last night’s game against the Rangers at home with all of DC on pins and needles. Last year’s first-round playoff debacle against the Habs has been the first thing mentioned in just about every preview of this series, and justifiably so. Between that collapse and the Caps having lost to the Rangers by scores of 6-0 and 7-0 during the season, Caps fans had much to be worried about. As the game plodded along with no score, everyone had to be thinking, “here we go again.” Through two periods the Rangers had the Caps exactly where they wanted them. It was a slow, plodding, scoreless affair without many shots on goal. When the Rangers struck first early in the third period, it was impossible not to think this that we had seen this movie before. The Caps did not look dominant, but Ovechkin’s stuff home gave them new life. The enigmatic Alexander Semin (I think Enigma should officially be his middle name at this point) ripped a shot over Lundqvist’s shoulder late in the first OT and all Caps fans exhaled. Momentum shift #1. Had the Rangers managed to steal game 1 in OT, the monkey would have been squarely on the back of the Caps. Instead, the Caps quickly turned the tables. The Rangers have to be looking at the game last night as one they should have had. “It was a stingy game, and I thought we did a pretty good of controlling the game,” said Brian Boyle. You said it, Brian. The Rangers played the kind of game they need to play against the Caps, and they STILL lost. So in looking towards game 2 the Caps have to be riding high. They didn’t fold. The Rangers played their game and the Caps still managed to find a way to win. For a team that in recent playoffs always seemed to find a way to lose, that’s a very welcome shift indeed.

Canucks 2, Blackhawks 0

The Canucks opened their playoffs in front of a crowd at Rogers Arena that looked and sounded more like a crowd at a rock concert than at a hockey game. The Canucks head into this series against the Blackhawks as the team to beat in the West, and deservedly so. If they felt any pressure they sure didn’t show it last night. From the moment they came out of the tunnel, they attacked and attacked and attacked. They established themselves physically, their defense was solid, and their offense was rolling. With rock-steady Luongo in net, the Canucks took control of the game early and never let up as the they beat the Hawks convincingly 2-0. Certainly, it’s not impossible that Chicago can come back to win the series, but if people think they are going to do so because they are “in the Canucks heads,” as some have hinted recently, they should disabuse themselves of that notion right now. The only way the Hawks are going to win this series is by playing much, much better hockey. It’s going to take a lot to beat the Canucks after what they showed last night. The naysayers will point out that the Canucks have won game 1 in each of the last two years, but somehow last night felt different.

Red Wings 4, Coyotes 2

The Coyotes have nobody but themselves to blame for this one. They had an early 1-0 lead and they had numerous opportunities to take a 2-0 lead. However, they squandered a lengthy 5 on 3 power play and a breakaway opportunity by Shane Doan. Shift. After that, Detroit shook off the their early struggles and dominated the second period to take control of the game and the series. Had Phoenix not squandered all those early power play opportunities, they might have put the Wings away early. Instead, they face a crucial game 2 in which they need a much better performance from Bryzgalov to shift the momentum back in their favor.

Predators 4, Ducks 1

Pekka Rinne was brilliant in leading the Preds to a game 1 victory over the Ducks. If any team has that “wow, their goalie can steal this series look,” a la Jaroslav Halak’s Habs last year, it’s the Predators. Rinne is ready to become mentioned among the league’s elite netminders, and he showed why last night.

Penguins 3, Lightning 0

The Penguins just keep on winning. Even without Crosby and Malkin they still managed to pepper the Lightning net with 40 shots. They served notice last night that they have come to play. Write them off at your own peril.

2011 Playoff Preview

Playoff Preview

It begins. In the wake of the tornado that has cost four coaches their jobs in the past few days and yet another regular season that came down to the final day before the final seeds were solidified, comes the day hockey fans have been waiting for since the pre-season – the beginning of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is here. Let’s take a look at the first-round matchups….

Eastern Conference:

(1) (1) Washington Capitals vs. (8) New York Rangers

Key to the series: Capitals confidence

I believe the early games in this series will be more crucial than any other. The Caps have endured highs and lows during the season, but they are definitely heading into the post-season on a high. They played great hockey down the stretch and just beat out the Flyers and Penguins for the East’s top spot. However, it bears mentioning that at times during their recent string of success they have looked fairly ordinary. Four of their last six games were decided in overtime or in the shoot-out. Since this year’s version of the Caps lacks the offensive punch of the past couple years, their margin for error will be slim. Add in the fact that they played very poorly against the Rangers this season, and you have a the recipe for a team that could get frustrated early if they lose early games. The Rangers have an outstanding goalie in Lundqvist and an outstanding, but relatively inexperienced blueline. It will be interesting to see how their young blue line fares against the Caps. If the Rangers win an early game or two, the playoff demons that have plagued the Caps might be out in full force. However, I predict the Caps to take control of this series early, gain lots of confidence, and close out the Rangers in 5.

Prediction: Capitals in 5 games

(2) (2) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (7) Buffalo Sabres

Key to the series: Flyers offense

Here is this year’s trendy upset pick. Most people are picking the Sabres to beat the Flyers in the first round, and it isn’t hard to understand why. The Sabres are riding a nice wave heading into the playoffs while the Flyers have questions everywhere. The Flyers cruised along in first place for most of the season, but haven’t played great hockey down the stretch. The hand injury that has kept Chris Pronger out for some time and shaky goaltending have added fuel to the fire being stoked by the naysayers. However, it’s hard to discount the amount of talent the Flyers can boast. Offensive depth is key in the playoffs and the Flyers are capable of rolling three scoring lines at the Sabres, who have a middling defense corps. If the Flyers offense can get on the same page, look out. While Ryan Miller is clearly a better goaltender than anyone the Flyers have, the Flyers have a far better defense and a much more talented and deep group of forwards. The Flyers squeezed into the playoffs last year with lots of questions surrounding their goaltending and made it to within 2 wins of the Stanley Cup. I think that experience and their offensive depth will help them finish off the Sabres in 6.

Prediction: Flyers in 6 games

(3) (3) Boston Bruins vs. (6) Montreal Canadiens

Key to the series: Bruins D containing Montreal’s speedy forwards

In what might be this year’s most anticipated first round matchup, we have stark contrasts of style all over. Small speedy forwards vs. large defensemen. Old, unconventional goalie vs. young hotshot. Brash young rookie vs. well, the whole Bruins team. This rivalry needs no introduction. As if the long history between these two teams wasn’t enough, the Chara hit on Pacioretty and the comments following it only heightened the intensity here. Despite all of that, I expect this to be a rather boring series. There won’t be any bench clearing brawls, goalie fights, or devastating hits. The Bruins will impose their will on the Canadiens and keep the small, speedy Habs forwards in check. PK Subban will try his best to be Sean Avery/Matt Cooke, but it won’t matter. Tim Thomas will outplay Carey Price and the Bruins will send the Habs home after 5 games.

Prediciton: Bruins in 5 games

(4) (4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Tampa Bay Lightning

Key to the series: Tampa Bay’s defense and goaltending

It’s remarkable that the Penguins managed to finish 1 point behind the Caps for the East’s #1 seed without both Crosby and Malkin for such a long portion of the season. It seemed that the tougher things got for the Pens, the more steely became their resolve. They just found ways to win hockey games. Ray Shero attempted to make up for the losses by adding James Neal and Alexei Kovalev in late season trades, but neither provided the offensive spark that was hoped for. Although Pittsburgh had a remarkable season without their two superstars, they did win a lot of their games down the stretch in the shootout. As we all know, there is no shootout in the playoffs. Tampa has a very suspect defense, and their goaltending isn’t very strong. While it’s possible that Fleury steals this series with a remarkable performance, I think the Tampa Bay offensive stars will do enough to make up for their lackluster defense. Expect a big series from Stamkos, Lecavalier, St. Louis, and Gagne en route to a 7 game Tampa victory in what will be an exciting but overlooked first round series.

Prediction: Lightning in 7 games

Western Conference

(1) (1) Vancouver Canucks vs. (8) Chicago Blackhawks

Key to the series: Canucks balance

It’s really hard not to like the Canucks. They have deep and balanced scoring. They have some agitators. They have a defense corps that can match up with any group of forwards. They have great special teams. And they have an all-universe goaltender. Since they are playing their nemesis, the Blackhawks, some people are still doubting them. There is no question the Canucks have a lot to prove and the pressure is squarely on their shoulders. That’s what happens when you have the best regular season in the franchise’s history. The only blemish is the injury to Manny Malhotra. Other than that, the only thing that the doubters have on which to hang their hats is the Canucks struggles against the Hawks in the past. Well, the Hawks are banking on an inexperienced goalie for the second straight year, and I don’t think it’s going to work for them this time around. The Canucks are too deep, too good, and too confident to think the Hawks are going to win because they are “in the Canucks’ heads.” Vancouver finishes the Hawks in 6.

Prediction: Canucks in 6 games

(2) (2) San Jose vs. (7) Los Angeles

Key to the series: Kopitar’s absence

The Kings are the Western Conference’s version of the Penguins. With Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams out, they just won’t have the offensive firepower to keep up with the Sharks. The Kings are going to have to try to rely on their outstanding defense in trying to steal this series. Dustin Brown is going to have to step up his game in the absence of Kopitar and Jonathan Quick is going to have to stand on his head. The Sharks have a great mix of experienced veterans like Joe Thornton and Dan Boyle and young players like Devin Setoguchi and rookie of the year candidate Logan Couture. They also have Stanley Cup winner Antti Niemi in goal. The absence of Kopitar and Williams will be too much for the Sharks to overcome. The Sharks will win a hard fought series that will go 7.

Prediction: Sharks in 7 games

(3) (3) Detroit vs. (6) Phoenix

Key to the series: The play of Ilya Bryzgalov

Just as the Hawks have had the Canucks’ number in the postseason so have the Red Wings had the Coyotes’ number. That’s about to change. Although the future of the franchise in Phoenix remains murky, the team continues to work hard and prove people wrong. You can’t ask for a more dedicated or respected veteran than Shane Doan to help lead your team. In almost every postseason there’s a goalie who comes along and flat-out steals a series. I’m taking Bryzgalov to do that here. The Coyotes have a steady, if unspectacular, defense and a hard working group of forwards. The Wings have had inconsistent goaltending to go along with injury problems that have plagued them all year long. Even though the Wings are supremely talented, and still a force to be reckoned with, this is the series in which I’m going with my gut rather than my head. I’ll take the Coyotes in 6.

Prediction: Coyotes in 6 games

(4) (4) Anaheim vs. (5) Nashville

Key to the series: Anaheim’s big three vs. Pekka Rinne

Pekka Rinne has an opportunity here to elevate himself into an elite NHL goaltender. The Ducks power trio of Getzlaf, Perry, and Ryan have an opportunity to show everyone that they are the best line in the league. This series will be about the Nashville defense and Rinne trying to contain the Ducks big 3. It’s virtually impossible to shut them down, but if Nashville can contain them, they win this series. The Ducks do not have great depth on either offense or defense. They rely heavily on their big 3, and I’m not a fan of teams that rely so heavily on a handful of players. Every team needs their big guys to step up, but it’s the role players and second tier players that make the difference between a contender and a pretender. The Ducks have done a remarkable job overcoming a dreadful start to the season (they were outscored 13-2 en route to an 0-3 start and were 4-7-1 at one point before turning things around), and Corey Perry has had a Hart trophy worthy season. However, the continued absence of Jonas Hiller and the lack of depth on the Ducks will lead to the Predators suffocating the Ducks’ big three and ending the series in 6 gsames.

Prediciton: Predators in 6 games

Headshots

The two most recent “headshot” incidents in the NHL evoke a bigger picture that the NHL brass has to take seriously. When police in Montreal announced that they were launching an investigation into the hit delivered on Max Pacioretty by Zdeno Chara and league sponsors proceeded to chastise the league and threatened to pull out, the “headshot” problem showed that not only is it not going away, but it is threatening to become even worse. This was followed shortly afterwards by a vicious elbow to the head delivered by public enemy number 1, Matt Cooke, whose harsh suspension was almost inevitable given his past and the current hysteria surrounding both Cooke and this issue.

Nearly everyone who saw the hit on Pacioretty agreed that it was a terrible incident (Pacioretty suffered a severe concussion and a non-displaced fracture to the fourth cervical vertebra in his neck), and everyone wishes Max a speedy recovery. However, there was a tremendous amount of disagreement with regards to whether the hit deserved a suspension. In addition, many placed blame on the insufficient padding on the area of the rink where Pacioretty’s head made contact. It also seemed as if, outside of Montreal, the overwhelming opinion was that a criminal investigation was laughable.

The Chara hit was not the first time that someone has been ridden hard into the stanchion. Don Cherry on Coach’s Corner showed a montage documenting many cases of similar hits. However, the resulting injury here made this incident particularly newsworthy. The severity of the injury was compounded by the fact that Pacioretty is a speedy player and Chara is an enormous individual. Watching the video it is clear that Chara interfered with Pacioretty. After the puck is dropped it is whipped to Chara’s right by the Habs center. Pacioretty and Chara both race for the puck. Chara attempts to bat the puck back into the Habs zone, but is unsuccessful. Pacioretty chips the puck past Chara and then accelerates around him to the left. Chara, realizing he is about to see Pacioretty blow right by him, drives Pacioretty into the boards with his arm and shoulder. Pacioretty’s head then collides violently with the stanchion resulting in the terrible injury he sustained.

The first thing to notice here is that at no point does Chara make contact with Pacioretty’s head. The second important point is that if this had taken place on the opposite side of the ice, where there is no break in the glass for the benches, it would likely not have been anything more than a simple interference penalty without the horrific injury. Should Chara have received a suspension? The suspension question becomes more and more complicated with each passing incident due to the inevitable rush to look at recent comparable incidents and the resulting discipline, or lack thereof, meted out. With each decision reached by Colin Campbell, the sample size with which to work becomes larger for critics. Discrepancies between similar incidents will become tougher and tougher to defend.

I don’t believe that Chara deserved a suspension for the hit he delivered on Pacioretty. Chara’s intent is known only to him. All we can do is look at the video and take our best guess. To me, it’s fairly clear that had he not interfered with Pacioretty, an odd-man rush would have resulted going the other way. In that moment, Chara was simply trying to take him out of the play in order to prevent an odd-man rush. The fact that the incident took place in the only area of the rink where a simple interference could result on a violent head collision leading to a concussion and a fractured vertebra should not be held against Chara.