Image via WikipediaObviously the
Buffalo Sabres aren't going to be happy with this decision,
Lindy Ruff let it be know that he isn't happy with his goaltender getting run. [
click to listen] Ruff claims by not suspending Lucic the league is basically saying that you can run a goalie over when he is out of the net playing the puck.
"If [Lucic] isn't suspended, it just means teams will be able to do exactly what Lucic did," Ruff said. "Their goaltender can play the puck, we can run him over. We can hurt him and all you get is a two-minute minor penalty. That's essentially what that means. You can concuss the other team's goaltender. You can run him going at whatever speed he was going. He made no attempt to get out of the way. It means it's fair game on goaltenders."
I don't hink we have gone down the slippery slope, at least not yet. I also don't think we are going to see more NHL goaltenders getting run over. I don't blame the Sabres for being mad, I think the Sabres have a right to be upset. That being said, if I was a Sabres fan I would be upset that no one on my team challenged Lucic for that hit. I also don't think that it's now open season on goaltenders either. I also don't think that this hit by Lucic was worthy of a suspension, like I told a friend of mine, not every questionable hit or penalty is worthy of a suspension.
TORONTO -- Shanahan held a hearing with Lucic via conference call because he had specific questions he wanted to ask before making a determination on potential supplemental discipline.
"I had the hearing because I did make an initial assessment of the play as I do with all plays, but I did have some questions for Milan and I wanted to hear directly from him," Shanahan told NHL.com. "They were regarding his intent; at what point did he know there was going to be a collision; and whether or not he felt he had the time to avoid the collision. I was satisfied with his answers."
Shanahan said the minor penalty for charging was the proper call in this case because it follows Rule 42.1, which reads "a goalkeeper is not fair game just because he is outside the goal crease area."
"The minor penalty called on the ice was the correct call," Shanahan said. "And, while it's unfortunate that Miller was hurt I saw nothing egregious about this hit that would elevate it to supplemental discipline."
The fans that hate the
Boston Bruins are now going to say that there is a conspiracy and that the league loves the Boston Bruins and that the Bruins will always get way with bush league hits and that by not suspending Lucic only confirms what most of the Bruins haters thought last spring when Chara didn't get suspended for his hit on
Max Pacioretty. Until one of the Boston Bruins gets the book thrown at him by the NHL front office the tin foil hat crowd is going to be out in full force.Notice a lot of the howling and complaining coming from the fans in Montreal.What do you think of this ruling by Shanahan?
