Thursday, December 11, 2008

Nashville Predators

ON NEW YEARS DAY…THERE COULD MORE FOR HOCKEY FANS IN THIS CITY TO PAY ATTENTION TO…THAN JUST A HANGOVER…
THAT’S THE DAY THE CANUCKS RETURN TO NASHVILLE…
THE STAGE WAS SET TUESDAY NIGHT WHEN THE CANUCKS PLAYED ONE OF THEIR MOST PHYSICAL GAMES OF THE SEASON…
ALEX BURROWS…RYAN KESLER AND ROB DAVISON ALL DELIVERED BIG HITS…
AFTER THE GAME NASHVILLE HEAD COACH BARRY TROTZ RIPPED INTO THE CANUCKS…
TROTZ CLAIMED THE CANUCKS…QUOTE…”CROSSED THE LINE”…
VANCOUVER CANUCKS ALAIN VIGNEAULT DID NOT SEE IT THAT WAY…
IN HIS WORDS…”THERE’S NOT A RULE IN THE BOOK THAT SAYS WE CAN’T HIT A NASHVILLE PREDATOR”…
LASTNIGHT ON THE BLAKE PRICE SHOW…DARCY HORDICHUK TOOK IT A STEP FURTHER…
HORIDCHUK MADE REFERENCE TO THE 9 GAME SUSPENSION SCOTT NICHOL OF THE PREDATORS RECEIVED 2 YEARS AGO WHEN HE SUCKER PUNCHED JAROSLAV SPACEK…
IN HIS WORDS…“WHERE WAS BARRY TROTZ”???
“I JUST DON’T THINK HE HAS CONTROL OF THE TEAM”…
DOES ANY OF THIS SOUND FAMILAR???
CERTAINLY…THIS SITUATION IS NOT AT DEF-COM 4…AT LEAST NOT YET…
BUT THIS IS EXACTLY THE ATMOSPHERE THAT EVENTUALLY LED TO THE TODD BERTUZZI…STEVE MOORE INCIDENT…
AND ONCE AGAIN WE ARE FORCED TO QUESTION THE LOGIC BEHIND THE NHL’S “INSTIGATOR RULE”…
A RULE THAT DOES NOT ALLOW THE PLAYERS TO POLICE THEMSELVES…
SO WHEN THE LEAGUE FAILS TO PROTECT THE PLAYERS…THE END RESULT IS TOO OFTEN “FRONTIER JUSTICE”…
WHAT DRIVES IT ALL IS LACK OF RESPECT BY THE PLAYERS…FOR EACH OTHER…
BUT LET’S BE CLEAR…THE ANSWER IS “NOT” MORE SUSPENSIONS…
8 OF THE 10 LONGEST SUSPENSIONS EVER HANDED OUT BY THE NHL…HAVE COME IN THE LAST DECADE...AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT GETTING BETTER…IT’S GETTING WORSE…
IN THE MEANTIME…MARK…JANUARY THE 28TH ON YOUR CALENDAR…
THAT’S THE DAY NASHVILLE IS IN VANCOUVER…
WHO KNOWS…MAYBE THE NHL WILL GET LUCKY…MAYBE A HOCKEY GAME WILL BREAK OUT

No comments: