Nicklas Grossman injured by Malkin Elbow.

Check out this sneaky elbow by Penguins forward Evgeni Malking on the Flyers defenseman Nicklas Grossman was injured in this collision with Evgeni Malkin. Don't count on Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin getting any form of supplemental discipline from the NHL. It's not going to happen, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is a big fan of the Penguins and there is no way that the NHL is going to suspend the Penguins bread and butter winner.

Per Flyers CSN Reporter Tim Pannacio, it appears that Grossman is out with a concussion.

Nicklas Grossmann, who took two shots to the head in Game 4 -- one from Tyler Kennedy and a sneaky elbow from Evgeni Malkin -- did not practice on Thursday. He has a suspected concussion, though the Flyers won't confirm the injury.

"I'm not sure whether he's in or out of the lineup," Matt Carle said. "I'm not sure what his injury is. Gross is a good stay at home defenseman. It's no secret he is back there for us and brings a physical presence."

So much for cleaning up the head shots in the NHL eh? If this had been Matt Cooke or Raffi Torres we would be ready to throw them out of the NHL for the rest of their lives but since a star players performed this questionable sneaky elbow, nothing is going to happen to Malkin. 

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Hakstol inks contract extension

Coach Hakstol isn't going anywhere and has signed a six year deal.

Official Press release - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota Director of Athletics Brian Faison announced today that head men’s hockey coach Dave Hakstol has been signed to a new six-year contract that will keep him behind the Fighting Sioux bench through the 2017-18 season.

Through his first eight seasons as UND head coach, Hakstol has become the third-winningest coach in program history, compiling a 213-106-30 (.653) overall record and a 129-75-20 (.621) mark during Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) play.

A six-time finalist for the Spencer Penrose Award as national coach of the year, Hakstol has guided the Sioux to five NCAA Frozen Four appearances, four WCHA Final Five playoff championships, two WCHA regular season titles and has advanced to the NCAA postseason in each of his eight years. He was named WCHA Coach of the Year in 2008-09.

“I am thrilled to announce that Coach Hakstol will continue to be behind the bench for UND hockey,” Faison said. “We have one of the elite hockey programs in the country and maintaining that high level of competitive and academic success was central to the contract process. Coach Hakstol’s teams have been successful on the ice, in the classroom and in serving the community. I wanted to make certain we kept continuity and stability in these ever-changing and challenging times.”

“I’m pleased to have the opportunity to continue working and living in what I consider to be the best environment in hockey,” Hakstol said. “I’m particularly grateful for the confidence Brian Faison has shown in me and my staff. We’re here to win and to do it the right way.”

In 2011-12, Hakstol led an injury-depleted team to its league-record third consecutive Broadmoor Trophy as WCHA Final Five champions and was named Inside College Hockey’s National Coach of the Year. With eight players missing 110 games due to injury, the Sioux were forced to dress fewer than 18 skaters on 14 occasions, yet went 11-3 in those games, earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA West Regional, and advanced to the regional championship game. UND finished the season ranked No. 5 in the USCHO.com poll and No. 6 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.

In the classroom, 11 student-athletes earned All-WCHA Academic Team honors and three were named WCHA Scholar-Athletes, including 2011-12 WCHA Most Outstanding Student-Athlete of the Year Brad Eidsness (Sr., Chestermere, Alberta).

UND also reinforced its reputation as the top draw in NCAA Division I men’s hockey by leading the nation in three attendance categories: average attendance for all games (9,999.5), total attendance for all games (419,981) and total attendance for home games (249,501).

The trademark of UND hockey during Hakstol’s tenure has been the team’s ability to play its best hockey during the most crucial time of year. UND went 5-0 in the 2012 WCHA playoffs and added a victory in the NCAA West Region semifinal, improving Hakstol’s career playoff record (WCHA and NCAA combined) to 42-15 (.737), 16 more wins than any other WCHA school during his eight-year tenure. Additionally, UND’s 12 NCAA postseason wins during that time are second only to Boston College’s 19.

Over the past eight seasons, UND has amassed a .709 winning percentage (132-49-18) in games played after the Christmas break, compared to a .577 clip (80-57-12) in games played prior to Christmas. That includes an impressive 55-13-4 (.792) record during the month of March.

Hakstol has enhanced UND’s championship legacy with Broadmoor Trophies in 2011-12, 2010-11, 2009-10 and 2005-06, MacNaughton Cup victories in 2010-11 and 2008-09, and NCAA regional titles in 2010-11, 2007-08, 2006-07, 2005-06 and 2004-05.

The 2011-12 season marked the eighth time in as many seasons under Hakstol in which the Sioux have won 20 or more games, the second-longest streak of 20 wins in school history behind only John “Gino” Gasparini’s 13 in a row from 1978-79 to 1990-91.

Eight players have earned All-America honors under Hakstol, including 2007 Hobey Baker Award Winner Ryan Duncan and 2011 Hobey Baker Award finalist Matt Frattin, and 25 have garnered All-WCHA honors. In the classroom, 86 of Hakstol’s players have been named to the WCHA All-Academic Team and 22 were chosen WCHA Scholar-Athletes.

UND has developed a reputation for doing an outstanding job in preparing players for professional careers, a reputation strengthened during Hakstol’s tenure. Seventeen of Hakstol’s players have gone on to play in the National Hockey League: Taylor Chorney, Joe Finley, Matt Frattin, Chay Genoway, Matt Greene, Matt Jones, Brian Lee, Brad Malone, Brady Murray, T.J. Oshie, Chris Porter, Matt Smaby, Drew Stafford, Jonathan Toews, Chris VandeVelde, Matt Watkins, and Travis Zajac. Two more, senior defenseman Ben Blood (Ottawa Senators) and sophomore forward Brock Nelson (Warroad, Minn.), signed NHL contracts following the 2011-12 season.

Eleven of Hakstol’s 17 NHL products made their NHL debuts within a year of playing their final collegiate games, including Chorney, Frattin, Genoway, Lee, Malone, Oshie, Porter, Smaby, Stafford, VandeVelde and Zajac.

Through Hakstol’s first seven seasons as head coach, 33 UND players were selected in the NHL Entry Draft, including six taken in the first round: Derek Forbort (15^th overall, 2010), Brock Nelson (30^th overall, 2010), Jonathan Toews (3^rd overall, 2006), Brian Lee (9^th overall, 2005), T.J. Oshie (24^th overall, 2005) and Joe Finley (27^th overall, 2005).

Hakstol, 35 years old when he was named UND’s head men’s hockey coach on July 9, 2004, is only the fourth Fighting Sioux head coach in the past 43 years. Hakstol, a Sioux player from 1989-92, is also just the fifth former UND player to also become head coach at North Dakota.

Prior to taking over as UND’s head coach, the former Sioux captain was a member of Dean Blais’ coaching staff for four seasons and in that stint helped coach the Sioux to a pair of WCHA titles, three NCAA appearances and the 2001 national championship game.

Before joining the UND staff on July 1, 2000, Hakstol spent four seasons (1996-2000) as the general manager and head coach of the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League (USHL), posting winning seasons in his last three seasons. Overall, Hakstol had a 101-109-13 record with the Musketeers. He was named the USHL Coach of the Year in 1997-98.

                                                                                                  

Before beginning his coaching career, Hakstol played professional hockey with the IHL’s Minnesota Moose from 1994-96, serving as team captain for two years, and with the IHL’s Indianapolis Ice from 1992-1994, serving as team captain for one season. In five professional seasons, Hakstol played in 250 games, scoring 12 goals and recording 37 assists. He also accumulated 455 penalty minutes.

As a defenseman on the Sioux hockey team from 1989-92, Hakstol was a three-year letterwinner and served as team captain from 1990 to 1992. He played in 107 games for UND, scoring 10 goals and adding 36 assists for 46 points. He had 77 penalties for 191 minutes.

Hakstol and his wife, Erinn, have two children: daughter Avery and son Brenden.

B1G Hockey announces conference tourney schedule

The only question is where will the NCHC have their conference tourney now that the schedule has been released by the B1G? Personally, I am hoping that it’s not going to be the Target Center.

Release courtesy of Big Ten Conference
With men's ice hockey set to become an official Big Ten sport with the 2013-14 academic year, the conference office announced today that the Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournaments will be held at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minn., in 2014 and 2016, and at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Mich., in 2015 and 2017.

The inaugural Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament will be held March 20-22, 2014, at Xcel Energy Center. The tournament moves to Joe Louis Arena the following year and will be held March 19-21, 2015, and March 16-18, 2017, in Detroit. The 2016 event will return to Saint Paul and be held March 17-19. Tickets for the 2014 Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament in Saint Paul are expected to go on sale in the summer of 2013.

The tournament will feature all six teams - Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin - in a single-elimination format. Thursday's quarterfinals will feature the No. 3 seed facing the No. 6 seed and the No. 4 seed battling the No. 5 seed. The top two seeds will open tournament play in the Friday semifinals, with the No. 1 seed against either the No. 4 or 5 seed and the No. 2 seed facing the No. 3 or 6 seed. The championship game will be held on Saturday.

More Capitals whining

Reading these comments from the Washington Capitals media this past week, I would think that I am listening to the Vancouver Canucks. It’s almost like we have taken a time machine and went back a year in time.

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.

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.

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.

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]

Today is the day - Spirit Lake vs. NCAA

Today is the big day for the Spirit Lake Sioux tribe and Standing Rock Sioux member Archie Fool Bear as they will get their day in court to find out if the law suit should move forward or be thrown out of court.

FARGO (AP) — The ongoing dispute over the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux nickname has shifted venues from the state Supreme Court to federal court.

Attorneys are scheduled to meet in Fargo Thursday afternoon to argue whether a lawsuit by the Spirit Lake Sioux tribe and Standing Rock Sioux member Archie Fool Bear should move forward.

The suit claims several rights violations. It seeks at least $10 million from the NCAA and a reversal of its policy banning use of American Indian imagery.

The NCAA says the complaint has no legal basis and should be dismissed.

I like many other Sioux fans are interested in seeing how this law suit plays out in court. Although I am not a lawyer, I see this court case as basically the last chance for the University of North Dakota keeping the Fighting Sioux nickname.

Some legal minds have also claimed that even if the law suit is successful against the NCAA, the NCAA could turn around and tell the litigants to shove off because they already have a surrender settlement agreement that was signed by the state of North Dakota.

Henrik Sedin elbows Dustin Brown

This has been the talk of twitter tonight, Vancouver Canucks forward  Henrik Sedin elbowed Los Angeles forward Dustin Brown. Don't expect the league to look at this play; there are two sets of rules in the NHL, there are one set of rules for star players like the Sedin twins and then another set of rules for the tough guys and goons.

To me this seems kind of hypocritical that either of the Sedin's twins would play this way espeically after Daniel  hasn't played since March 21 because of a concussion he suffered after being elbowed by Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith would elbow someone in a game. The blood on Brown's face was from the puck according to Elliotte Friedman.

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Marc Staal hit on Jason Spezza

This is kind of an odd hit by the New York Rangers forward Marc Staal on Senators forward Jason Spezza during the second period of tonight's game. While the hit by Staal on Spezza doesn't seem real egregious or malicious, it's still a hit to the head that should have resulted in a two minute minor. Spezza would leave the game but return for the start of the third period. I personally don't see anything coming out of this hit.

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Kyle Turris helps Sens tie series with Rangers

Former Wisconsin Badger (2007-08) forward Kyle Turris scored the game winning goal 2:42 into the first overtime to give the Ottawa Senators a 3-2 victory against the New York Rangers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Turris has been pretty good during the series against the Rangers and he has (1g-2a-3pts).

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The War of word Continues - Bruins vs. Capitals

Claude Julien on the Boston Bruins bench (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Its been real fun to watch these two coaches try to out dual each other in the war of words. Here is Boston's responses to some of the charges that the Capitals head coach levied against the Boston Bruins. You can tell that the Bruins have gotten under the Capitals skin.

Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press --- Then again, the strongest statements of all came from Boston coach Claude Julien, who was asked to respond to Hunter's comments. "That doesn't make sense. I don't know any coach that would tell his team to go after somebody's head," Julien said. "It's ludicrous; it's ridiculous. OK?"

Julien then referred to Backstrom's stick-in-the-face match penalty as the third cross-check by the Capitals during the series, and added: "But we're not whining about the referees and what's going on here. We need to win a game and we need to win a series and that's where our focus is on. That's what it should be."

Asked about the targeting charge, Bruins forward Milan Lucic said: "Just because a guy's injured doesn't mean you go out of your way to re-injure him, but you don't go out of your way to be light on him. You still have to play against him like you would any other player."

Related articles

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• Caps' coach: Bruins targeting Backstrom's head

Capitals disagree with Backstrom's suspension

Backstrom and Ovechkin (Photo credit: clydeorama)

Of course they do. The moral of the story is don't cross check someone in the face at the end of the game like Backstrom did. It's really a pretty easy concept.

Katie Carrera, Washington Compost --- They’d much rather have their top center in the lineup for an important Game 4 at Verizon Center on Thursday as evidenced by a statement the team released to reporters Wednesday afternoon.

“We disagree with the NHL’s decision to suspend Nicklas Backstrom,” the statement said. “This has been a competitive and physical series, and we do not understand why a suspension was imposed in this case while other incidents in this series have not been reviewed. Our singular focus now is on Game 4, and we look forward to the energy that our great fans provide.”

But the Capitals know they can’t afford to dwell on the ruling – they can’t change it. They say their focus is on trying to even their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series, which the Bruins lead two games to one.

Backstrom admits that it was stupid to cross-check on Bruins forward Rich Peverley.

Backstrom: “Well he...I did what I had to do. I think it was stupid on my part. I’ve got to deal with it now. I mean, one game — I don’t know, I don’t like it or whatever. I’ve got to deal with it. It is what it is.” [Capitals Insider]

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Torres to meet with the Shanahammer

IMG_5555.jpg (Photo credit: bridgetds)

Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres has his day in court. The fact that the hearing is in person in the NHL's New York office does not bode well for Mr. Torres because the NHL is about to make an example out of him.

NEW YORK -- Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres has been suspended indefinitely, pending an in-person hearing Friday, April 20, the National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety announced today. The hearing, which had been planned for today, was deferred at the request of the player and the National Hockey League Players' Association.

You can expect that Brendan Shanahan is going to take Raffi Torres to the woodshed and this one going to hurt and it’s going to be easy for Shanny, Torres did it to himself and he has no one to blame but himself.

Torres is a villain; he is also a poster boy of what is wrong with the NHL in the minds of many fans. Torres is also a Matt Cooke type player, and also a repeat offender that hasn’t changed his game when the game has started to evolve.

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Raffi Torres, "I just felt like it was a hockey play"

I was watching the Phoenix Coyotes game last night and like most was shocked to see that Raffi Torres wasn’t kicked out of the game for his check on Marian Hossa. The even more puzzling thing was the fact that Torres wasn't challenged to a fight later in the game by one of the Blackhawks players. Now the Chicago Blackhawks have to depend on the NHL’s Department of Player Safety to see if they respond to this hit.

True to form Raffi Torres saw nothing wrong with the hit in question, of course Sociopaths never do, so none of us should be shocked by the lack of remorse, shame or guilt from Torres.

"First off, I hope he's alright. As far as the hit goes, I just felt like it was a hockey play, just trying to finish my hit out there," said Torres. "The last thing I'll say is a I hope he's alright."

Did he leave his skates? Does he think he'll be suspended?

"I'm not gonna answer that," he said, before leaving the postgame interviews. [Puck Daddy]

Most of us have no idea what transpires out of this hit and it will be interesting to see if Torres is suspended by the NHL or not. Some have predicted that Torres could get a very long suspension and could be suspended into next season for his efforts on the ice last night. Personally, I would be shocked based on some of the rulings that Shanahan has come up with in the playoffs up to this point. One thing hanging over Torres’ head is that he a repeat offender and has been suspended twice in the past 13 months. Ironically, this hit took played one year to the date of his hit on the Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook.

Backstrom suspended by the NHL.

This was the fourth suspension of the day. As expected, Nicklas Backstrom has been suspended by the NHL for his crosscheck on Richard Peverley which resulted in Backstom receiving a match penalty. The NHL wouldn't rescind the match penalty. Of course one of the dirtiest players to ever play in the NHL defended his player. I wouldn't expect anything less.

Capitals head coach Dale Hunter defended Backstrom's actions following the game, saying he "was trying to protect his face," because Peverley had his stick raised. Hunter feels the Bruins are targetting the head of Backstrom, who missed 40 games near the end of the regular season with a head injury.

"It is crossing the line. To grab his head all the time is not the right way to play," said Hunter. [TSN.CA]

Related articles

• VIDEO: Nicklas Backstrom Receives Match Penalty For Cross-Check On Rich Peverley (dc.sbnation.com)
• NHL Playoffs 2012: Nicklas Backstrom To Have Hearing With NHL; Dale Hunter Says Bruins Are Targeting Center's Head (dc.sbnation.com)
• Caps' Backstrom Called For Match Penalty, Likely Facing Suspension (philadelphia.cbslocal.com)

Raffi Torres hit on Marian Hossa

One year to the day after Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres hit On Brent Seabrook with a questionable hit behind the Blackhawks net Torres laid out Marian Hossa with this hit. The problem is that Torres left his feet to make this hit. The NBC broadcast crew interviewed the Blawkhawks head coach  Joel Quenneville on the bench and it was pretty obvious that he was very angry that four guys on the ice could miss that hit.

You would have to think that Raffi Torres might be looking at a big suspension and the possibility that this could be his last game during the 2012 playoffs, or not. Hossa was carried off of the ice on a stretcher and there was no penalty on the play.

Washington Media whining about the officiating.

Watching this video you would have thought that the Boston Bruins were the bad guys in this video and it's the Bruins' player that caused Nikolas Backstrom to cross check Richard Perverley in the face at the end of the game.

Earlier in the day Capitals head coach  Dale Hunter was complaining to anyone that would listen, funny, he should know a thing or two about cross-checking other players with his stick, just ask Craig Janney or Pierre Turgeon they were the victims.

Tarik El-Bashir and Katie Carrera, Washington Compost --- Every scrum, Nicky comes out with no helmet on, he gets blocked to the head by [Tim] Thomas the game before. He’s protecting his head,” Hunter said at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. “He just came off for 40 games. You have to protect your head.”

Across the Potomac River in downtown Washington, Bruins Coach Claude Julien told reporters the league “needs to look at it and judge it from there” but stopped short of lobbying for a stiffer punishment. “We’re not a team that will go down and start rolling on the ice for no reason,” Julien added. “I’m proud of Pev for standing up on his feet, taking a cross-check to his face and not embellishing.”

Alzner tells Lucic to stop crying

The Washington Capitals might want to have Karl Alzner review a few of Lucic's fight video's because the last thing that Lucic is; is a whiner. I got a chuckle out of this as well. Alzner is probably lucky that he was rescued by the ref before Lucic got a hold of him. If Alzner is confused he can confer with Paul Gaustad of Buffalo.

"Well, there's a lot of [proof] on my side to show that I'm not a crybaby," Lucic said after the game. "That's a lot coming from a guy I think who's got two roughing penalties in three years, so there you go.

Asked whether he felt Alzner was the third man in, an offense that is punishable by a game misconduct, Lucic grinned and chose his words carefully before answering, "Yup." [WEEI.COM]

Related articles

• Milan Lucic and Karl Alzner don't seem to care for each other (prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com)
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Marchand a diver?

Here is an entertaining and humorous video about Brad Marchand and his apparent diving that he did during game three against the Washington Capitals. The one play where Nikolas Backstrom hit him from behind, Marchand was off balance and basically already falling down, I will excuse that flop. That being said Marchand's diving is nothing compared to Ryan Kesler.

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Hunter: Bruins targeting Backstrom's head

One of the dirtiest hockey players to ever play in the NHL is accusing the Boston Bruins of going after Nicklas Backstrom. I guess the former goon Hunter would be able to spot this type of behavior on the sight?

In case you’ve forgotten, this is the same Dale Hunter that delivered one of the direst cheap shots I have ever witnessed to former Islander former Pierre Turgeon in Game 6 of the Patrick Division Semifinals. [Click to refresh memory]

Chuck Gormley, Capitals Whining --- Capitals coach Dale Hunter accused the Boston Bruins of intentionally targeting the head of Nicklas Backstrom and says his star center was only protecting himself when he cross-checked Rich Peverely in the chin at the conclusion of Game 3 Monday night.

Backstrom received a match penalty for the cross-check which carries an automatic suspension, pending a review by NHL director of player safety Brendan Shanahan. A ruling is expected to be released by the league on Wednesday.

“I don’t think he’s going to be suspended,” Hunter said. “If you slow it down frame by frame, where was [Peverley’s] stick? It was up in his face first … and Nicky reacted to it.

“I think [Backstrom] was trying to protect his face. If you watch it, [Peverley’s] stick is right in his eyes and it’s a dangerous play on their part, especially for [Backstrom] because if you notice, every scrum Nicky comes out with no helmet on. He gets a blocker to the head by [Tim] Thomas the game before [in Game 2]. He’s protecting his head. He just came off of 40 games.”

Chimera spears the Little Ball of Hate in the groin

Ouch! This is the reason that Brad Marchand was laying on the ice last night. Looks like the refs missed one here, that one couldn’t have felt very good. As you can see by the photo, Washinton Capitals forward Jason Chimera speared Brad Marchand in the groin/cup region with his stick during last night's game between the Boston Bruins and the Washington Capitals. That should have been a major penalty.

Of course no one is going to feel bad for the Little Ball of Hate Brad Marchand. I noticed that when the  Captials started to play physical  and rough against the Bruins, the Bruins kind of took the game over. Here is the link to the video in question [Click to view]

Joe McDonald, ESPN Boston --- One would have assumed the player waiting for Marchand was forward Jason Chimera. (In fact, we did in an earlier post.)

During a scrum in front of the Bruins’ net early in the third period, Chimera clearly struck Marchand in the groin area with his stick, sending Marchand to the ice in pain. He was attended to by team trainer Don DelNegro. Chimera was given a two-minute penalty for slashing.

But Marchand was approached by defenseman Karl Alzner, who caught Marchand with an elbow to the head during the game.

s/t Puck Daddy for the photo

Niklas Backstrom cross check on Peverley

The Washington Captials "could" be without one of their best players because of this unnecessary and dirty cross check by Niklas Backstrom on Boston Bruins forward Richard Peverley at the end of tonight's game. Backstrom received a match penalty at the end of the game tonight for this cross-check. It will be interesting to see what kind of supplemental discipline that Backstrom receives.  [Box Score]

Based on how erratic Brendan Shanahan has been in his ruling during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I would be surprised if Backstrom receives any punishment, mainly because of his star status. I predict that if there is any punishment it will be the maximum 2,500 dollar fine.