Playoff hockey is played on the fringes of legality. This means that the shots are practically all allowed. And when the umpires are more lenient than they are in the regular season, that means the risk of injury is higher. To put it bluntly, some players play to hurt and knock out rivals.
There are no borders. All means are good to win in the playoffs.
That’s the villain side of hockey.
What we saw in some games last weekend is nothing new.
Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk used a scrum in front of the Bruins’ net to plow Garnet Hathaway’s crosses with his racquet.
It hurts, it leaves bruises.
Hathaway crumbled like a tree felled by a chainsaw. It took him a long time to get up. But while he was on the ice, players from both sides hit each other.
The Bruins player could have been injured more.
I’ve never understood that players would bump into and smack each other in the face because of a player who was writhing in pain on the ice.
Anyone have an explanation?
Well done Linus!
Goalkeeper Linus Ullmark tried Tkachuk later in the game. After the game, his coach Jim Montgomery praised him, saying he was involved the entire time.
What if there was a fight and his goalkeeper was injured in the scuffle?
Montgomery would have cried murder!
Tkachuk, meanwhile, got away with a minor penalty and a $5,000 fine.
Do you think it bothers him?
beat by beat
In Tampa, Lightning’s talented Brayden Point ventured into the corner of the rink while chasing the puck with Morgan Rielly.
The referee awarded the Leafs defenseman a major penalty and a match penalty. However, the War Room (appropriate nickname) ruled that there was no violation.
It was borderline legal.
Luckily for the Lightning, Point was in charge last night, but he certainly wasn’t in top form.
This incident prompted Lightning captain Steven Stamkos to pursue Auston Matthews. It reminded me of a fight between Vincent Lecavalier and Jarome Iginla during the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals between the Lightning and the Calgary Flames.
It’s the serial mentality, it’s an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
You hurt one of my best players, I will hurt one of your best players.
