It's usually quite an impressive feat when your name trends worldwide on Twitter. However, in the case of Zdeno Chara, it's not a goal that's left the hockey world (and beyond) buzzing but rather a hit on Montreal's Max Pacioretty that's prompted yet another fierce debate between bitter rivals.

With the Bruins down 4-0 in the waning moments of the second period, things took a turn for stomach-wrenching when a Pacioretty attempted rush up ice left the 22-year-old Hab motionless on the Bell Centre ice following a collision with the turnbuckle separating the Boston and Montreal benches following a one-on-one bump from Chara.



As chants of "[Fill in this lovely blank] you Chara" rained down from the balcony while fingers were quickly pointed at the 6'9" defensemen for being just another Boston thug, did anybody stop the think about Chara's true intentions on the play? Better yet, did anything about this situation really warrant itself of its premature label as a dirty hit?

Requiring a stretcher to be taken off the ice safely and forcing the period to an impromptu end, the severity of Pacioretty's injury was made known just by the look (or lack thereof) on his glossy-eyed face along with a deeply concerned Montreal bench.

There was no diving from the energetic forward in blue and red. There was no selling a call for an extra minor. In fact, there was no movement at all; This was a kid who just got leveled by the unforgiving turnbuckle after a bump from the most widely loathed Bruin in Quebec.

"I always play hard, I always play physical, but I never try to hurt anybody," a disappointed sounding B's captain said after the game. "What can I say? It just happened that he hit his head on the glass extension."

Revisiting the incident that just happened, it's become similar to a tinfoil hat conspiracy regarding the intentions of the B's captain on the play. Dating back to the history between these two, going back to Jan. 8th's overtime loss where Pacioretty unloaded a 'get out of the way shove' to Chara after ripping one by Thomas to secure a Habs win and February's scuffle where the Bruins captain made a direct line for Pacioretty in a brawl--desperately trying to claw at the Habs winger--it's become clear that many in the Montreal community believe that Chara's lone goal on the play was to maim the Connecticut native.

Firstly, the thought that Chara had a premeditated plan to run Pacioretty into the stanchion borders on absurd. In a sport where everything happens in the blink of an eye, there was simply no way that Chara had enough time to position him to the point of saying 'I'm going to run this guys head into a glass board at brute force' nor would it be encouraged by anybody within the organization.

Say what you will about the way they play, but this is a Bruins club that has experienced their fair share of devastating head injuries. Boasting names such as [Patrice] Bergeron and [Marc] Savard on their roster, both players who have sustained major head injuries during their tenure in Boston on dirty hits, it's simply not a tolerable act for any Bruins player.

Now while that point isn't to be taken as the Bruins somehow being immune to the ideology of cheap-shotting, consider the play as a whole when watching the replay.

Despite the clock winding down to a precious few tics, if Chara opts not to play the body and let Pacioretty take the puck, the quick-strike Habs offense has a two-on-one or a breakaway with Johnny Boychuk becoming the last line of defense for Boston.

It's important to note that when we observe a hit and how it plays out, the word dirty cannot be synonymous with the end result of the player on the receiving end.

Was Chara's hit unfortunate? Without question. But does the check from the 33-year-old warrant the term dirty? I, for one, don't think so.

In defense of the play, this isn't exactly an uncommon problem in the NHL. Notably, an eerily similar incident occurred in a game between the Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings back in 2007-08 involving then-Av-now-King Ryan Smyth.



Simply put, it happens.

It's one of those things where the end result can vary from menial to severe in the case of Patches. But that doesn't mean that the disciplanary measures handed out by the league, if any, are supposed to be relative to the severity of Pacioretty's injury because at the end of the day it's whether or not the hit violated a rule in place in the league.

Can't fault a player for the geographical design of an NHL rink. Sorry if that sounds cold, but hey, let's view it for what this really was--an unfortunate play with an unlikely end result. File this one under wrong place at the wrong time.

(Now, despite my view on the hit and the issue as a whole, I do want to say that I hope the best for Pacioretty and hope that he has a speedy recover and is back to playing hockey very soon. I never like to see another player injured, regardless of the sweater he wears, and to see a guy in as much pain and peril as he was in wasn't a sight I care very much for. Get well soon, #67.)

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