April 21, 2009 More penalties on the way? TFP Columnist
Josh Mora believes their may be more penalties coming from Game 3
between Chicago and Calgary.
CHICAGO, IL -- In the wake of game
three's final minute shenanigans, the Blackhawks and Flames are
awaiting possible further penalties.
Blackhawks' GM Dale Tallon is scheduled to meet Tuesday morning with
league officials, including Series Supervisor (and ex-Blackhawk) Kris
King. We presume the Flames and GM Darryl Sutter will be included in
this meeting or a separate meeting.
In the final minute of Game 3, there were several incidents which
occured at two separate stoppages. The first stoppage occured with 57
seconds to play, when Blackhawks' tough guy Ben Eager scuffled with
Flames' All-Star defenseman Dion Phaneuf. Eager received four minutes
for roughing. Phaneuf received two minutes for roughing. Eager also
received an extra 10-minute misconduct. It's pretty clear from the
replay that both players were willing combattants who engaged each
other simultaneously.
That incident spilled over towards the player benches. Flames'
defenseman Jim Vandermeer tangled with Hawks' forward Dustin Byfuglien.
Both received two minutes for roughing. Several other players barked
at each other, with Chicago's Dave Bolland and Calgary's Curtis
Glencross received 10-minute misconducts.
No players received instigator penalties, which would have resulted in
automatic suspensions and fines for the player and his coach.
The second stoppage occurred with 13 seconds to play. In the play
preceding the stoppage, Hawks' agitator Adam Burish broke his stick as
he cross-checked his ex-teammate (both with the Hawks and at the
University of Wisconsin) near Bourque's head, though replays show the
stick hits Bourque in the shoulder. The two players subsequently
fought, with each receiving roughing penalties and a misconduct. The
high cross-check appears to have gone unpenalized by the on-ice
officials. Bourque had been penalized three times during the game for
slashing, in which he broke Chicago players' sticks on each occasion.
Several factors suggest that both or either team could receive
repercussions from the league. Albeit with a twisted sense of logic
and discipline, NHL VP Colin Campbell has made it very clear he does
not tolerate "bullying" or "sending a message", especially in the
final minute of games which are already largely decided. In a
fascinating interview with CBC's excellent Ron McLean, Campbell
indicates that the situation of a game, and a player's history and
style of play factor into Campbell's decisions about possible
additional penalties --
check out the video.
In this playoff alone, Campbell suspended Philadelphia's Dan Carcillo,
but not Calgary's Mike Camalleri, for incidents which look similar on
video, in large part because of the players' separate histories and
the time of the game in which each incident occurred. Of the players
involved in the Game 3 situation, Vandermeer, Burish and Eager all
have suspension histories, and all are considered to be aggressive
players.
Suspensions would likely affect the Blackhawks more adversely than
they would affect the Flames. The Flames have several extra players up
from their AHL affiliate in Quad Cities, which did not make the
playoffs. The Blackhawks have two spare defenseman and one spare
forward (a flu-ridden Patrick Kane in game 3). Their AHL affiliate
faces elimination from the playoffs Tuesday night in Rockford.
Josh
Mora,
a Columnist with TheFourthPeriod.com, is an Anchor and
Blackhawks Reporter with Comcast Sportsnet Chicago.
