Mike Wise, Washingtonpost.com --- Maybe someone is afraid the Stanley Cup would not reside in Boston if the league genuinely took a look at what the Bruins do often after plays are clearly over. All I know is Game 4 of the Bruins-Capitals series is Thursday night at Verizon Center and somehow Nicklas Backstrom is not playing. Meanwhile, the ruffians who have been trying their damnedest to knock his concussed head have a full roster. In Bettman’s NHL, this is justice.To be honest with you I don’t how a team with coach with the reputation of Dale Hunter can say some of the stuff he has said this week with a straight face. If I recall correctly, the infamous Hunter is known as a player that has the sixth longest suspension in the NHL.
Funny, no, that the team that tied for the league lead with 65 majors, led the league with five game misconducts and had more penalty minutes than all but two other NHL clubs during the regular season has been able to skate away without so much as a warning. The Bruins have 14 fewer penalty minutes in the series against Washington thus far, proof that either they have become remarkably good at looking like they’re not doing anything illegal or the on-ice cops aren’t doing their jobs.
A guy who always gets away with it is Tim Thomas, Boston’s anger-management goalie. Unsmiling, on edge, he is essentially Yosemite Sam with a better pair of clippers. In Game 2, he nailed Backstrom in the head with his blocker and kicked Troy Brouwer. According to the NHL rulebook, those are match penalties — the kind that got Backstrom suspended for Game 4. On it goes. Milan Lucic repeatedly takes whacks at Backstrom’s head.
Maybe we can chalk it up as experience, but I think that Bruins Coach Claude Julien has done a good deflecting some of these ridiculous comments. This is the NHL and not the ballet. I also think that, Julien has also done a good job keeping his team focused on the task at hand and not let his team get caught up in the back and forth chatter. I also think that Julien has had some good responses the former capitals goon Dale Hunter.
“There’s not a coach in this league - not one - that is going to tell his players to target somebody’s head,’’ Julien said. “Concussions are a serious and sensitive thing. I think we all respect that. Anybody who thinks otherwise is totally wrong.’’
Julien, who was once a teammate of Hunter’s with Quebec, was asked if Hunter might have been defending his player more than accusing the Bruins of targeting Backstrom’s head. “I don’t blame Dale for defending his player, if that’s what he’s trying to do,’’ Julien said. “To me, it’s going to war for your team. That’s why I’m not commenting more on that. I’m not going to comment on his comments of protecting his player, if that’s the case. [Fluto Shinzawa, Boston Globe]
