Habs and Sens Line Brawl: P.K. Subban vs Mark Borowiecki

I guess someone forgot to tell the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens that this was only a meaningless exhibition game. Both teams were engaged in an old-fashioned, knock-down, drag-out line brawl Friday night. I am surprised that P.K. Subban actually fought Mark Borowiecki.

Updated Uneventful Free Agency

Pretty light free agent action during the holiday weekend. In my opinion, this has been an uneventful free agency signing so far. Looking at the list, there's not a lot of attractive options out there. 

Clarke MacArthur smokes Jiri Hudler and a scrum ensues

The fact that no one was given a major penalty is kind of puzzling, to me. Senators forward Clarke MacArthur smokes Flames forward Jiri Hudler with a nice clean, crisp, body check and then the melee ensues. This is what the boxscore looked like after the scrum was over.

00:19 CGY Chris Butler Roughing - 2 min against Clarke MacArthur
00:19 CGY Chris Butler Roughing - 2 min against Clarke MacArthur
00:19 CGY Paul Byron Roughing - 2 min against Erik Condra
00:19 OTT Erik Condra Roughing - 2 min against Paul Byron
00:19 OTT Clarke MacArthur Roughing - 2 min against Chris Butler

NHL Hockey: Don Cherry goes off on P.K. Subban

I know this is a little bit old. Apparently, Don Cherry of the Coach's Corner didn't like P.K. Subban’s goal celebration after he scored the game-winning goal against the Ottawa Senators.

Toronto Star -- Cherry then offered stern advice to the 24-year-old before he heads to Sochi for the Winter Olympics.

“Don’t give (the opposition) ammunition,” Cherry said. “Subban had better stop that stuff when he (goes to the Olympics).”

Thoughts? I thought he celly was a bit over the top, but I wouldn't expect anything less from this guy. It was also against a conference opponent.

Senators Mika Zibanejad scores on pretty odd-man break (video)

Tic-tac-toe, what a beautiful goal. Ottawa Senators forward Mika Zibanejad in a nice 2-on-1 breakaway with Senators forward Cory Conacher to even the score at 1-1 against the Washington Capitals.

Buffalo Sabres no goal.

This is one of the plays that kind of made a stir tonight on the internet.... I think it's a blown call, but I guess if you read the explanation, it makes sense.

At 15:30of the second period in the Senators/Sabres game, the Situation Room initiated a video review because the puck entered the Ottawa net. The referee informed the Situation Room that he had a delayed hi-sticking penalty against Ottawa's Jason Spezza therefore the play was stopped as soon as any Ottawa player gained possession/control of the puck. According to Rule 15.1 "When the team to be penalized gains control of the puck, the Referee will blow his whistle to stop play and impose the penalty on the offending player." This is not a reviewable play therefore the referee's call on the ice stands. No goal Buffalo.

(Video) Ottawa’s Mark Borowiecki With A Backhand Into His Own Net

In a move which could be classified as being unfortunate. Ottawa defenesman Mark Borowiecki backhands the puck into his own net. Dallas Stars forward Antoine Roussel was the last one to touch the puck so he ends up being the beneficiary and gets credit for the goal. That’s goal number one on the year for Roussel. And it gets even better; the game was also Borowiecki’s NHL debut. Also, the Borowiecki miscue broke a 2-2 tie in the third period. The Senators would battle back before losing in a shootout 4-3. as well.

(Video) Brooks Orpik hit on Chris Neil

This is the hit that Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik put on Ottawa Senators forward Chris Neil. There was no penalty called on the play, in my opinion, this was a dangerous hit, but not necessarily dirty, but dangerous.

If you're a fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins you probably think this is a good hockey play. If you're a fan of the Senators, you probably wanted a penalty on the play. The head coach of the Ottawa Sentors Paul MacLean didn't like the play and was unhappy about on the players bench. I suppose in the regular season, there might have been a penalty called on the hit, it's a what we call a push check, a form of checking from behind. What do others think of the hit?

#TribHKY >> Neil lost footing, Orpik give him good shove during his fall. #pens #sens
— Rob Rossi (@RobRossi_Trib) May 20, 2013

Chris Neil.....hi...you're injured!
— Injury Ninja (@InjuryNinja) May 20, 2013

Like Lucic's hit on Gunnarson, that's a penalty a month ago.
— Joe Meloni (@JoeMeloni) May 20, 2013

Montreal Canadiens vs Ottawa Senators Donnybrook; P.K. Subban is a clown

Tonight, the Montreal Canadiens acted like a bunch of classless hacks. I don't know who the bigger clown is, P.K. Subban or the head coach of the Montreal Canadians. I don't blame the Ottawa Senators for taking the Habs to the wood shed tonight, Canadiens were begging for a beat down and they kept slashing the Senators and they obliged the Canadiens.

I also don't blame the Senators head coach Paul MacLean who called a timeout very late in the game. Make that 17 seconds left in the game. Of course the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens didn't like it. “As far as I’m concerned, it was classless,” Montreal Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien said.



Finally, talking about classless hacks. P.K. Subban runs his mouth up and down the ice, the guy is an absolute circus clown. Subban leaves his feet to check his opponent and is basically a two bit punk. When asked to fight, Subban turtles or runs and hides behind the refs, unless it's someone that weighs less than him.

Tonight, Subban (6'0" 200 lbs) fought heavy weight fighter Kyle Turris (6'0" 170 lbs), who is another player that is not known for his fighting prowess, according to Hockeyfights.com, Turris has been in three fights during his NHL career. Subban should really be proud of this fight, then he breaks the hockey code by punching Turris as he lays on the ice while he is tied up by the official.

subban leaving feet in gm1 RT @sensprospects Besides outcome, how is this hit diff than Gryba's hit? Guess allowed twitter.com/SensProspects/…
— sensblog (@sensblog) May 4, 2013

Carey Price appears to lose a tooth

Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price took a skate to the face from fellow teammate Jared Tinordi. At the whistle, Price skated to Canadiens bench and it looks like he handed the trainer his dislodged tooth. So, the first thought that comes to mind. Is there a bare nerve in Price’s mouth?  All I can say is ouch! That has to hurt? Nothing hurts more than losing teeth and air on a bare nerve. One has to wonder; don't these guys wear mouth guards?

(Video) Eric Gryba gets 2-game ban

So, now we suspend players in the NHL for legal hits? According to TSN's Bob McKenzie, the Senators Eric Gryba is going to get a two game ban for his hit on Lars Eller.

When I first saw the hit, I thought the hit in question was a head shot, but after further review it was pretty obvious that the hit was a vicious, but legal shoulder-to-torso hit, in my opinion this is also not a violation of the NHL's rule 48. So I guess, it's a legal hit unless the player you're hitting is a player from the Montréal Canadiens.

Two game suspension for OTT's Eric Gryba.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) May 3, 2013

NHL: Gryba to have hearing on Eller hit

"It's a clean hit with a bad result," Former NHL official Kerry Fraser. I don't believe there should be any [supplemental discipline], Fraser continued.

NHL.com -- The NHL has scheduled a disciplinary hearing for Ottawa Senators defenseman Eric Gryba on Friday for his hit on Lars Eller of the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series.

With just under 6 1/2 minutes left in the second period of Thursday night's game, Gryba caught Eller with a crunching hit at the blue line as the Canadiens forward was receiving a pass from defenseman Raphael Diaz. Eller was taken off the ice on a stretcher after landing face-first following the hit. He was expected to spend the night at the hospital with head and facial injuries, according to the Canadiens.

The following grounds for potential supplemental discipline are being considered: Illegal check to the head. However, the Department of Player Safety retains the right to make adjustments to these infractions accordingly upon further review.

Gryba was assessed a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct on the play. Montreal scored once during the long power play, but Ottawa rallied with three goals in the third period for a 4-2 victory.

Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Friday night in Montreal.

Here is what the head coach of the Senators coach Paul MacLean had to say about the hit.

"(If I’m Eller), I’m really mad at player 61 [Raphael Diaz], whoever he is, because he passed me the puck in the middle of the rink when I wasn’t looking,” said MacLean. "That’s always been a dangerous place as far as I know. Ever since I’ve been playing this game, that’s a dangerous place to be — bad things happen."

@goon48 hit to the head. #MTLvsOTT twitter.com/AndyMPressoir/…
— JRoads ™ (@JRoadsreal) May 3, 2013

Related articles

• Lars Eller destroyed by Eric Gryba (ndgoon.blogspot.com)

Edit: Lars Eller destroyed by Eric Gryba

After watching some of the analysis post hit, I am not sure we need to page the NHL Department of Player Safety. Former NHL official Kerry Fraser gives us a pretty good explanation of what happened with hit and they had the benefit of having a big screen TV screen to break down the hit.

Edit: Senators defenseman Eric Gryba absolutely destroys Montréal Canadiens forward Lars Eller with a vicious shoulder-to-torso hit, in my opinion this is probably not a violation of the NHL's rule 48. Also, I would not be too happy with my teammate for making that suicide pass.

Milan Lucic and Chris Neil Fight

This is my definition of a heavy weight fight between Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic and Ottawa Senators forward Chris Neil. After not being in a fight for 26 games, Lucic has now been in a fight in two out of his last three games. With the fight tonight, Lucic has now accumulated five fighting majors for the season. That is also the sixth fighting major of the year for the Senators forward Chris Neil.

The Bruins game with Sens rescheduled

Boston Bruins (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Yesterdays game between the Boston Bruins and the Ottawa Senators that was postponed due to the horrific terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon has been rescheduled for Sunday April 28, 2013.

NEW YORK/TORONTO – The postponed game between the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins, originally scheduled for Monday night, has been rescheduled for Sunday, April 28, at TD Garden. Face-off will be at 7 p.m. ET. Broadcast information for the game, NHL Game No. 624, will be announced when available.

The game between the Bruins and the Senators is going to be the final game of the regular season before the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

B's practiced w/heavy hearts today & hoped they could bring even a small sense of relief by representing Boston: bbru.in/ZynpFb ^CS
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 16, 2013

No hockey in Boston tonight... Good decision by the NHL

Game is off. Our best to everyone affected, please be safe.
— Andrew Ference (@Ferknuckle) April 15, 2013

My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of the senseless act of terrorism/violence. Nothing, I mean nothing, can justify this.

Per the NHL - The National Hockey League game between the Boston Bruins and the Ottawa Senators scheduled for Monday night at TD Garden was postponed hours after multiple explosions near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

No makeup date for the game was announced by the NHL.

Tonight's game between the @nhl_sens & @nhlbruins at TD Garden has been postponed. Our thoughts are with you #Boston.
— NHL (@NHL) April 15, 2013

Harry Zolnierczyk destroys Mike Lundin, Suspended four games

My first question is, why are the refs immediately rescuing Harry Zolnierczyk after he destroys Mike Lundin with this dirty elbow? Zolnierczyk is the one that laid out Lundin with the dirty hit, he's the one that should be the one fighting Kaspars Daugavins or Senators tough guy Chris Neil for that matter. I guess Harry Zolnierczyk is going to have to wait because he has been suspended by the National Hockey League for four games for his effort.

(Video): Senators owner Eugene Melnyk goes off on Matt Cooke

Apparently, the owner of the Senators Eugene Melnyk feels the same way I do about Penguins forward Matt Cooke. It looks like the Penguins are putting Cooke on notice. The last game between the Penguins and the Senators is going to be a dandy. It might be a blood bath.

"To have him [Karlsson] taken out by a goon [Cooke] it’s just unconscionable," Melnky said. "Whether it was accidental, or whether it was reckless, or whether it was intentional. To me it doesn't matter, it's something that should've never happen. These players should never be playing in this league, these guys are a dime a dozen. That’s exactly what they’re worth per game.”

(Video) Matt Cooke hit on Erik Karlsson

I am going to preface this with, I hold Matt Cooke in a very low regard especially after what he did to former Boston Bruins forward Marc Savard and a few other players around the league. Make no mistake about it, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke is known for his dirty hits, this hit, however is not a dirty or a malicious hit. What do you think? Chime in... Hockey is a physical sport and injuries happen from time-to-time. Tough loss for the Senators.

Worst possible news for Senators. Karlsson suffered lacerated Achilles tendon. Surgery required.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 14, 2013

another wow RT @seangentille: Wow: The Karlsson-Cooke thing happened right in front of an @ap photographer. Wow. Wow. twitter.com/seangentille/s…
— Producer Tim (@TSNProducerTim) February 14, 2013

Michalek kicks Girardi

This is the kick that everyone has been discussion on line today. If you watch the video you will see that Ottawa Senators forward Milan Michalek actually kicked NY Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi during the closing minute of the third period of game six. This Michalek kick happened during the scrum on the controversial Jason Spezza goal.

The Senators were unable to get the game tying goal and there is a good chanced that Henrik Lundquist is going to be fined by the NHL for bad mouthing the officials after Monday night's game.

"It's an absolute joke. Oh my God. It scares me," Lundqvist said in an emotional rant. "When it's such an obvious play, goalie interference and a kick, and they still call it a goal? It scares me that someone can call that. It's just unbelievable. It still upsets me, because we have this game, and then they get a chance. Someone wants them back in the game obviously, because there's no other explanation, I think." [Daily News]

The National Hockey League Department of Players Safety has decided not to discipline Michalek for his kick on Dan Girardi, but he was given a warning from the Shanahammer.