Punishment Worthy

Paul Kubina of the Tampa Bay Lightning was given a 3 game suspension and fined $60,000 and change today for an elbow to Dave Bolland's head last night. No penalty was actually assessed in the game. Bolland was not hospitalised.

Sean Avery was given a 6 game suspension in 2008 for comments he made about his ex-girlfriend who was then dating a player on a team he would face that night. The comments were made before the game. The Dallas Stars served him some punishment of their own. After the last day of his suspension the Stars announced that Avery was not welcome back on the team. For comments about his ex-girlfriend and her current boyfriend (Dion Phaneuf) made OFF the ice, before the game.

Nick Boyton of the BlackHawks made a throat slashing gesture at another player after a fight. He received a 1 game suspension.

Eric Goddard got an automatic 10 game suspension when he left the bench to help defend his goalie after Michael Haley skated the length of the ice to start a fight. Martin got a 4 game suspension for ANOTHER incident in that game. A game full of stupidity.

Zdeno Chara runs (one could easily say guided) Max Pacioretty into a stanchion leaving him with a concussion and a fractured vertebra. This is done when Pacioretty doesn't have the puck. He gets no "supplementary" punishment from the NHL.

I could go on and on looking at suspensions handed out. Some that make sense, some that could be argued. Yet it is the non-suspension of Zdeno Chara that leaves me shaking my head at the NHL. A throat slashing gesture after a fight warranted a 1 game suspension. Comments made to the media, before a game, warranted a 6 game suspension. Chara's actions warrant none? What a fucking joke.

Zdeno Chara ... what a Mook.

I don't think Chara wanted to do the damage he did to Pacioretty. I do believe he wanted to hurt him a little, with a check. But it went further, even if accidentally or due to negligence. Regardless of if it was an accident or not, Chara should have been held responsible for his actions and the NHL dropped the ball. Again.

The NHL's lack of a response pissed me off to no end and then I read some of Chara's comments. The piece of shit actually tried blaming Pacioretty for his own injuries.

We were racing for the puck and battling for position," Chara said. "As the puck went by, obviously I was riding him out and it was very unfortunate that at the same time when I pushed him a little bit, he kind of leaned and jumped a little bit and just hit the glass extension.

Pacioretty jumped into it? He did the damage to himself? What a fucking piece of shit Chara is. He reminds me of the rapists who say their victims "asked for it".

Call me strange but it sure looks like Pacioretty's "jump" was assisted and guided by Chara's hand/fist.

Of course Chara's remarks also leave out the reality of the situation. They WEREN'T racing for the puck when it happened. It happened well AFTER Pacioretty played the puck. Which is WHY Chara was immediately hit with an interference penalty, plus a game misconduct because of what happened. It was a gratuitous hit AFTER the play. Chara's comments instead of showing contrition for almost crippling someone, and the jury is still out on that, show him to be an asshole.

Whether the injury was intentional or not Chara deserved more of a punishment than he got. To hear Chara spout the BS he did after the fact is disgusting. What a fucking mook.