djfresh47 said:
Sabres were dominated by Caps last night. Ovechkin had a dirty hit on Briere but he returned.
That was a vicious hit by Ovechkin. IFFFFFFFF the NHL had any balls what so ever, they would give him 10 games for that...
Briere could have been seriously hurt there, even paralyzed.
The NHL will fold up (like usual) and give him MAYBE a game. It's a joke. The players have ZERO respect for each other now because there is no true retribution to be paid.
15 years ago (before a New York lawyer who has never worn skates took over the league) Ovechkin would NEVER have done that. Why? Because he would have KNOWN he was gong to get the crap beaten out of him right on the spot or the next time the 2 teams played each other. As it is now he KNOWS nothing will happen to him accept maybe some horse**** fine from the NHL and a "don't do it again" wag of the finger from Captain Chicken**** himself Colin Campbell, the "czar of discipline" at the NHL front office.
NHL and discipline. An oxymoron if I have ever heard one.
The instigator rule put an end to the players policing themselves. Now every little puke (Darcy Tucker, Matt Cooke etc.) can run around knowing they will never have to pay for their sins.
The NHL likes to say "they are handling discipline". Bull****! They have NEVER handled discipline correctly. They give chicken **** suspensions for grievous infractions all the time. This will never change until someone is is killed by one of these kind of hit from behind plays or they get rid of the instigator rule.
Sadly, the instigator rule will be around until Bettman is gone. He is after the American audience and he thinks that American hockey fans get too offended by fighting.