by Kat
It may have looked like it this opening round of the playoffs, but a sequel hasn’t been released yet.
The playoffs are ripe for upsets and unexpected turns in momentum, but few possibly could have predicted what transpired over the weekend as NHL games devolved into scenes taken straight out of Slapshot. A few weeks ago, Adrian of ShowTimeTickets.com reminisced about the bench-clearing brawls and rough stuff of the old days and lamented about a general lack of excitement in today’s NHL. What happened in the past few days was a probably – in this fan’s eyes – a statement of “be careful what you wish for”. There was more goal-scoring and animosity – which is normally a good thing for fans in the playoffs – but it was largely overshadowed by ugly incidents of intentional headshots, line brawls, and a busy weekend for NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan. Given all the recent talk of concussions in pro sports, the bounty-hunting scandal in the NFL and addressing a general lack of respect among players nowadays, the NHL can’t be too happy of the optics of this weekend.
In case you missed it:
– Game 2 between the Senators and Rangers includes Matt Carkner ambushing Brian Boyle with a flurry of fists as retribution for hits dished out in Game 1 (for which Carkner received a one-game suspension). Carl Hagelin delivers a high hit to the head of Senators’ Daniel Alfredsson; Hagelin is suspended for three games and Alfredsson is a game-time decision with a confirmed concussion. Series is 1-1
– Game 2 between the Blues and Sharks ends with a line-brawl after the final horn as that series begins to boil over. Series is 1-1.
– Chicago’s Andrew Shaw nails Phoenix goalie Mike Smith with a shoulder to the head as Smith played the puck behind the net. Whether it was intentional or not, the hit is under review by the league. Coyotes and Blackhawks are tied 1-1 in their series.
– We all knew that the Flyers and Penguins don’t like each other, but Sunday’s game was probably the most heated game in recent playoff memory. The bushels of goals scored, fighting majors and game misconducts handed out made for a long night for the officials; the first period alone took an hour to complete. The Penguins became unglued during yet another disastrous outing from top to bottom; Sidney Crosby was fighting with Claude Giroux, James Neal and Arron Asham are possibly facing suspension for headshots, and their defence and goaltending are non-existent. Throughout all this, the Flyers are having the last laugh as they sit on a 3-0 series lead on the supposed Stanley Cup favorites.
– While the Canucks and Kings haven’t tempted a “ShanaBan” yet, there’s no masking the animosity between these two clubs. Despite the Kings being the underdogs at the outset, they’ve shown the Canucks little respect (just ask Henrik Sedin; for the record even he admitted this hit was clean) and have a 3-0 series lead to show for it.
Commentators seem all to happy to chalk up the violence to “it’s playoff hockey”. For fans who pay big bucks for a lower bowl seat, the brawls and dislike is over the top and entertaining. But for others, it reflects terribly on the NHL when Brendan Shanahan is the topic of more headlines than the likes of Zetterberg, Sedin, Crosby, Briere, Lundqvist and Quick.
What do you think of all the madness? Like or dislike?
Whether you follow the Senators, Rangers or any other team in the 2012 NHL playoffs, you can get tickets for all four rounds with ShowTimeTickets.com, even if it’s sold out. Don’t miss out on the big game!