Poll question: Does Tom Wilson deserve a suspension for his hit from behind on Brayden Schenn or do our readers feel Caps GM George McPhee is correct in calling the charging play "a great hit?"
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My problem with the hit is simple. Schenn turned into the boards. Yes, he put himself in a vulnerable position. Yes, he has to take responsibility for doing that.
But ... Wilson was accelerating from the blue line in and had no intention of pulling up or letting up. He wanted to crush someone and Schenn was his target.
Here's what I suspect will happen. The NHL will inquire as to Schenn's health. If he is not concussed or injured, there will be a fine and no suspension. If he is injured, there will be a fine because we all know that unless a player get hurt, these things always seem to disappear with the Department of Player Safety.
Flyer fans will argue that it's more about the color of the jersey and if it's orange 'n black, the Flyer will pay the price, either as the aggressor or in this case, as the innocent party involved in the play.
"It was pretty bad," Wayne Simmond said. "I just saw him from the scrum, he was down. I didn’t see much after that because I was part of the scrum, but I turned around and he was in the middle of the ice laying down. It was tough to see."
Schenn fell three times before being assisted off the ice.
I felt Flyers coach Craig Berube understood the complexities of the hit and the fact that Schenn did himself no favors by turning into the boards.
"It’s a tough, reckless play a hit from behind; he'll be all right," Berube said. "Well, players are a lot faster for sure but, you know I think taking the interference out of the game too, like not interfering with people anymore, you can’t ride them off, you can’t hold them up.
"They are coming with a lot of speed and guys go in there and don’t protect themselves very well. They turn and that’s basically what happens 80% of the time.
"I don’t know if that was the issue tonight but I don’t think a lot of them are intentional. Guys are skating hard and fast and a guy turns a little bit and you hit the guy you know it’s a tough play. But I think that’s the biggest reason."
So does Sheriff Shanny lock up Wilson? Or does he get a free pass out of jail?
What would you do?
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