The fallout from the brawl on
Long Island between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders on Friday
night has finally come down and some of the punishments were of the longer
variety.
The league handed out
suspensions to three players who were involved in different on-ice altercations
during the game. Pittsburgh’s Eric
Godard was suspended 10 games, while Islanders forwards Trevor Gillies and Matt
Martin were suspended for nine and four games respectively.
Update: Lemeiux Responds Harshly Against League; Is He Right, a Hypocrite or Both?
Update: Lemeiux Responds Harshly Against League; Is He Right, a Hypocrite or Both?
We all knew that Eric Godard of
the Pittsburgh Penguins was going to get 10 games because that was the
automatic suspension for leaving the bench.
I still firmly believe that Godard did the right thing, regardless of
the penalty, in defending his goaltender from getting into a fight with a guy
who is an enforcer. He knew what the
penalty would be before he left the bench and he still made the decision to do
so, whether right or wrong that it is automatically that amount regardless of circumstance
is a different debate.
Islanders forward Matt Martin 4
games for his attempted sucker-punch of Penguins forward Max Talbot. From Martin’s perspective I am sure it was
seen as some sort of retribution for the hit Talbot put on Blake Comeau in the
last meeting these two teams had, but a sucker-punch is never the way to go
about doing it. Martin received a major
fighting penalty, ten minute misconduct and a game misconduct for his
altercation with Talbot.
Winner of the ugliest moment of
the game award has to go to Trevor Gillies of the New York Islanders for his flying
elbow to the head of Penguins forward Eric Tangradi and subsequent punching of
Tangradi in the back of the head while he was on the ice. Tangradi would remain on the ice for some
time and was treated by the Islanders medical staff and is said to have
received a concussion as a result of the actions that Gillies took.
While nine games might seem like
a lot, I believe that Gillies got off easy for his blatant intent to injure
Tangradi. His actions in the elbow
itself, the punching of the player in the back of the head while face down on
the ice and then standing in the ramp way off the ice taunting the kid as he
attempted to get back to his feet and then congratulating his teammate for
fighting a goalie added up to one of the most disgusting displays I have seen
in a long time. Nine games sitting out will not change Trevor Gillies or how he plays the game, and neither will a longer suspension. One day he will get his; players who play with that disrespect and malice for their fellow competitors always do.
Along with the suspension the
NHL also fined the Islander 100K dollars.
The Penguins were not fined and coach Dan Bylsma will not be suspended
for tomorrow’s game against the New York Rangers.
