For Shanahan, another head-scratching decision
Brendan Shanahan, the NHL’s dean of discipline, should be featured on Saturday Night Live.
For Shanahan, another head-scratching decision
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
Brendan Shanahan, the NHL’s dean of discipline, should be featured on Saturday Night Live.
His videos are a laugh riot.
Shanahan on Tuesday night suspended Pittsburgh’s Arron Asham for four games and teammate James Neal for one game because of incidents in the Penguins’ 8-4 loss to the Flyers on Sunday.
On the same shift, Neal took runs at Sean Couturier and then Claude Giroux.
In his video, Shanahan explained that Neal, a 40-goal scorer in the regular season whose presence will be missed, was suspended for charging at Giroux and “once again launching prior to making contact.”
Fair enough.
But his failure to penalize Neal for leaving his feet for a dirty hit on Couturier was laughable.
Shanahan said the NHL was “willing to accept Neal’s assertion” that he jumped at Couturier “to brace himself for an unintended collision.”
Shanahan’s decision is supposed to be based on WHAT HAPPENED, not on what the player DIDN’T INTEND TO HAPPEN. It should also be noted that Neal was fined once this season and received two warnings for incidents _ and that he was suspended three years ago for a check from behind.
From here, the run at Couturier was much worse than the one at Giroux.
From here, if Shanahan used a dart board, his decisions would make as much sense.
His most grievous post-season error was not suspending Nashville’s Shea Weber for slamming the head of Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg’s into the glass.
He slapped the all-star defenseman on the wrist with a $2,500 fine.
The decision on Neal just re-affirmed this: Shanahan is a master at inconsistent rulings.
Follow Sam Carchidi on Twitter @BroadStBull.
Over the past fifteen to twenty years it has become progressively more difficult to watch the NHL "game". The league's players typify individuals in every situation who are left to run amok without any limitation to their actions. Despite blithering from Bettman, the violence, both in frequency and in intensity, seems to have increased. Outrightly launching for the head has become the signature move in the NHL.
The players continue to make dirt bag, head-hunting, launched hits, the NHL continues to do next to nothing about it, and the announcer gloss over it and cover it up!
Difficult to watch does not really say enough!— BEMiller- I agree with Chris Therien - if any Penguin takes a cheap shot at any Flyer, Crosby gets his head handed to him.
That should make the point to both the Penguins and the rest of the league: you try to hurt a Flyer and you put your best players at risk. If the NHL bigwigs don't like it, then maybe they should think about doing a better job punishing the punks and goons of the game (even if they're Flyers).— Watching and Waiting - If you look at the Torres hit on Hossa last night...is it much different than Neal on Courturier? Neither Hossa or Courturier had the puck when they were hit...and both Torres and Neal left their feet to hit them.— acanders
- I think it's time to check Shanny for a pulse. Seems he's nothing but a puppet, with Bettman's hand up his back. I want to see a video o fShanny and Bettman together, so that when Sahnny talks, I can watch to see if Bettman's lips move.. Heck, we may see Shanny on the next Jeff Dunham special..— C-Note
- The thing that sticks out to me is that the Couterier hit was one where there was not even a hockey reason for contact. Another words he had not just passed, was not heading into the crease or carrying the puck so he had no excuss for any contact at all. And as meantioned he went head hunting. But again most of the other hits meantioned at least the guy had just passed the puck, had the puck or otherwise was in a position to at least think he might get checked. To me that is endorsing violence outside of the accepted contact that is in the game. It is like a defensive guy in football railing an offensive guy when they have not picked off a pass or the guy is not even attempting a block. Much worse imo although I agree the leaving your feet and head hit is plenty to disapline more on but how can you not disapline more when it is violence outside of the contact that is accepted in the sport?????— mmac
- Carchidi is exactly right. Shanahan lost all control over these playoffs when he didn't suspend Weber, who slammed Zetterberg's head into the boards twice on the same play. The Pens suspensions make no sense - Neal intentionally tried to injure two flyers (and temporarily did), while Asham was reacting to a borderline hit from Schenn. Asham didn't deserve 4 games (2 or 3 would have been fine), and Neal should have been suspended 2 (1 for each dirty hit).— Kingsalami
- If a Player like Hartnell had done the same thing to Cindi and Malkin in 42 seconds, Shanafarce would have suspended him for the entire Playoffs. Players from every team should demand that this Dope step down after this season! Dart Board Justice would be an improvement over this imbecile. The System is FLAWED and needs to be corrected!— younged
Comment removed.- Asham's punch to the back of Schenn's head when Schenn was on the ice got him four.— twg
- Comment removed.
- what did you expect and it took a lot quicker to penalize the hit on Hossa. what he had said he jumped to protect himself from an unintentional hit?— sawgrass
- Go Flyers.— LuckyDog
- what are your feelings on the penalties the flyers took last night? I assume Rinaldo needs 4 games like Asham and oh, how about the cross check and punch while Michalek was down last night. What type of suspension should those draw??— F_The_flyers
- what are your feelings on the penalties the flyers took last night? I assume Rinaldo needs 4 games like Asham and oh, how about the cross check and punch while Michalek was down last night. What type of suspension should those draw??— F_The_flyers
