Carl Hagelin, Matt Carkner and Andrew Shaw all have hearings for hits; guess the suspensions
Hopefully, Brendan Shanahan and the Department of Player Safety had a nice morning with loved ones. Perhaps a hearty breakfast, a chance to read the paper, maybe a healthy jog. Because it's going to be a busy couple of days.
The NHL announced that Matt Carkner of the Ottawa Senators, Carl Hagelin of the New York Rangers and Andrew Shaw of the Chicago Blackhawks will all have hearings on Sunday or Monday for various infractions in Saturday night's Stanley Cup Playoff games:
Carkner received a five-minute major for fighting, a two-minute minor for instigating and a game misconduct at 2:15 of the first period of the Senators' 3-2 overtime win over the Rangers.
Hagelin was given a major penalty for elbowing at 10:32 of the second period after making contact with Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson's head. Alfredsson went to the dressing room and did not return.
Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw will have a hearing Monday for an incident with Phoenix goaltender Mike Smith in Chicago's 4-3 overtime win Saturday.
[ Video: Blackhawks' Andrew Shaw ejected after nasty collision ]
Coming up, the plays in question; what do you think about their punishments to relations to their crimes?
Matt Carkner Attacks Brian Boyle
This was the aftermath from Game 1, in which Boyle took physical liberties with Ottawa Senators star Erik Karlsson — including a series of gloved rabbit punches. Carkner took his first opportunity to run Boyle and then tossed his gloves to pummel an unwilling combatant, Boyle having been ambushed. Brandon Dubinsky came in for the save, and was ejected as the third man in.
This was a full-on intentional attack from a player that's played more than 13 minutes once in his last nine games. Boyle wasn't injured, but one expects Carkner gets made an example of in a series that could get out of hand.
Best Guess: 3 games.
Carl Hagelin's Head Shot On Daniel Alfredsson
From the NY Post, here's how this hit — which knocked Alfredsson out of the game — was covered:
"I don't think we should lose him for Game 3," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "If we lose Hags for Game 3, they should lose [Chris] Phillips for Game 3."
Tortorella was referring to the Senators defenseman who was called for putting an elbow to Ryan Callahan in the first period, drawing a two-minute minor. No subsequent action appeared to be taken regarding that incident.
When Senators coach [Paul] MacLean was asked about the Alfredsson hit, he deferred. "I'll let Brendan Shanahan see what he thinks about it," MacLean said. "It doesn't matter what I think about it."
Earlier this year, on Oct. 29, then-Ranger Wojtek Wolski hit Alfredsson in the head, causing him to miss a significant amount of time with a concussion. Zenon Konopka responded, saying the next time they played on Nov. 9 that "it still [bleeps] me off." Konopka then went out and got into a fight with Sean Avery.
Hagelin, a rookie, didn't receive any supplemental discipline this season.
The injury to Alfredsson is obviously the key. If Byron Bitz gets two games for his boarding major on Kyle Clifford, it's hard to comprehend the Rangers forward not getting at least that for taking out the Senators' star captain.
Best Guess: 2 games.
[ Video: Bryan Bickell's OT goal completes wild rally for Chicago ]
Andrew Shaw Runs Mike Smith
Why?
Shaw was ejected from the game, the Coyotes scored on the subsequent power play, and Smith didn't leave the game with an injury, playing all the way through overtime. Done and done, no need for anything else, right?
Here's what Shaw said after the game, via the Sun Times:
"It sucks when that kind of stuff happens, but I'm just glad that he was OK," Shaw said. "He went to play the puck and his stick came up towards my face. I tried to get out of the way of it and unfortunately made a little contact."
Shane Doan said after the game, via the Sun Times:
"I mean he hits a goalie the head," Doan said. "They want to get rid of blows to the head, period. Trust me, I know. It's a blow to our goalie's head behind the net and I know that the GM's had talked about how that's something they definitely want to make sure that doesn't ever get into the game, and we've got to protect our goalies."
"Trust me, I know" … a telling statement from a smart player.
Doan was suspended for three games down the stretch for an elbow on Jamie Benn; in 2010, he was suspended in order for the NHL to have a veteran star example of its spiffy new Rule 48.
So maybe the make an example of Shaw here, just to remind everyone not to run opposing goalies.
Best Guess: An undeserved 1 game.
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