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Napa, CA • United States • 26 Years Old • Male
Versus showed the aftermath of the Detroit Red Wings-Anaheim Ducks Game 6 during the first intermission of tonight's game 7 between Pittsburgh and Washington. After watching it I can't help but think that the NHL has lost control of these playoffs. Maybe it's just because they have two of the dirtiest teams in the league playing each other, or maybe it's because Colin Cambell has decided to pick-and-choose what needs to be punished and how severly.

Three different fights occured after the final horn sounded there were three different fights instigated by the Ducks. First Ryan Getzlaf took a run at Marian Hossa. Nothing serious occured, the two just shoved each other and had to be separated. That sparked a battle between Corey Perry and Brian Rafalski. Perry pounded on Rafalski even after the Wings' defenseman was down on the ice and defenseless. Finally, Scott Niedermayer took a few swings at Pavel Datsyuk.

I don't know how the league can sit back and watch that happen and not hand down a suspension on at least one of the three Ducks players involved. If they don't hand out something for "message sending" then I would expect uproar from owners, GMs and coaches when Cambell suddenly decides there is too much message sending happening in the next round.

The league specifically said they would not tolerate any message sending when the score was not in doubt. I don't know how you can have any less doubt about the outcome of a game than when the game is over. This is the place where Cambell needs to punish somebody to show that he and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman are not full of talk.
Filed Under:   Detroit   Anaheim   Discipline   Playoffs   Ducks   Red Wings  
May 13, 2009 9:48 PM ET | Delete
And once again, they show they are just full of talk. The "incident review system" or whatever you want to call it is just an absolute farce - and it is in desperate need of change. They can't continue to do things the way they have been.
May 13, 2009 11:35 PM ET | Delete
"Full of talk" is all Bettman and Campbell have ever been when it comes to discipline. In reality, gutless would be a better description. Until a person with a real agenda for making players accountable for their actions is in control, we'll continue to see lip service and nothing more payed to what has become a real problem within this league.
May 13, 2009 11:57 PM ET | Delete
Totally agree... The passed up suspending Walker for that sucker punch, even when the rules pretty much mandate one game for an instigator in the last 5 mins of a game. By overriding that, the league is clearly condoning this type of behavior.If you want to get crap out of the game, suspend players for playoff games. That will get their attention.
May 14, 2009 10:42 AM ET | Delete
May 14, 2009 5:02 PM ET | Delete
Agree 100% Rival! Heck, Pittsburgh's Bill Guerin should have been given an instigator and suspension for what happened at the end of Game 1 against Philadelphia with his fight against Coburn. I just want someone who is going to apply one standard to all of the roughly 700 NHL players regardless of who they play for and how much money they bring in for the league.
May 15, 2009 7:49 AM ET | Delete
Nice blog. The league needs to seriously address discipline, officiating, 'the War Room' — everything — and soon. It's like the WWF and you get the feeling Campbell, and some of the refs are making it up as they go along. Terrible.
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