One Black Eye Too Many

[PigSkin_53]

The NHL has enough problems trying to compete with the top big three sports without yet one more black eye to single it out and estrange it from the pack.

The NHL hasn’t done itself a lot of favors from the foolish nonsense of in their “in-the-crease” rules (who has the count how many good goals were discounted from future hall of famers statistics), or dumbing down the game with the joke of the “clutch and grab” hockey of the last era.

Now we get Sean Avery’s wild gesticulations, circus shenanigans of blocking the view of net minder Brodeur in order to gain an advantage to advance the New York Rangers into the second round of this seasons playoffs.

Lets just put aside the unsportsman like aspect of the game here to examine the truer intentions of the methodology of why the need to go to the carnival mentality of impeding and degrading of one of the greatest goal tenders to ever play the game, so that (arguably) a team with the lesser ability is able to withstand instead of the one that should.

Much has been said about the money available to buy a championship with any means including that of buying it with the players outright, but to demean the games intention and design not only brings everything down to the lowest common denominator, but also undermines it truer value to those who wish to preserve its strength and something for our youth to aspire to.

The NHL must now bring the full force of its discipline to protect and uphold the value of the game we all learned to treasure and love, and show why it is that this is a game like no other, that must be guarded and protected at all cost from those who would turn it into another WWF.

It is for this reason that this travesty must not be allowed to compromise or encroach upon the honesty and integrity of the game we call our own.

[Sir Purrcival]

It would have been nice if the Ref had given Avery a penalty and a 10 min. misconduct on the spot for unsportsmanlike conduct. Losing the momentum while your team has control of the puck in the offensive zone would very quickly have put the whole thing to rest.

Avery has been a clown for a long time and I don't think it is going to change anytime soon. It is one really dumb egg in a whole basket. The only thing you can give him credit for is being original in finding some way for himself to look like a complete moron. I don't know that this one incident really tarnishes the league (more than it may be tarnished) in any particular way. Anybody who watches hockey knows Avery and what he like. Those who don't and might use it as an excuse not to watch are clearly already "not watching"

[PigSkin_53]

Losing the momentum while your team has control of the puck in the offensive zone would very quickly have put the whole thing to rest.

Those who don't and might use it as an excuse not to watch are clearly already "not watching"

For the life of me I cannot understand why the Referees allowed it to proceed except for the fact they have never seen this before and were as shocked as everyone else who witnessed it. I must admit that the National Hockey League is a conundrum upon themselves when it come to inventing new ways to look bad.

As you have said Sir Purrcival this whole affair may have been avoided with a simple but effectual immediate goal tender interference call, in that it is no less distracting as running into the Goal Tender, whether he is aware that it is intentional or whether it happens by accident.

A rule must apply that if the player is addressing the puck in play and not the player then it will be considered legal and not interference, but conversely it must be immediately and unconditionally penalized, as distraction and unfairly impeding the progress of the Goal Tender, otherwise this sort of tolerance will degenerate into total bedlam and the detriment of the entire league in the end.

[Sir Purrcival]

I agree with you PS53. I think that the surprise/shock factor did have a lot to do with the non-call but when the ref did decide to act, it would have been better with a penalty, not a warning.

[TheLionKing]

You got to give Avery full marks for originality. I would have love to see the point man shoot the puck off Avery's leg.

[Shi Zi Mi]

Is there not a "making a travesty of the game" type penalty in the NHL?

[sj-roc]

Is there not a "making a travesty of the game" type penalty in the NHL?

MLB has a "no rule" rule that gives the umps latitude to rule on anything not explicitly dealt with in the rule book based on a spirit-of-the-game philosophy. Sounds like the NHL could use such a rule.

Regardless, if Avery had pulled that crap on Ron Hextall or Billy Smith, I think by now he'd be following the career arc of Steve Moore.

Interesting to notice in the video that (a) Chris Drury takes himself out of position during the play to give him a brief talking-to and (b) after he scored the goal and headed back to the bench, nobody wanted to sit next to him for some reason.