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I mean, really, how do you even up losing one of the game's best two-way players on a dirty hit by a dirty player, a former first round pick himself who could never establish himself as a scorer or playmaker?
(And hey, Raffi, enjoy the press box and then, sooner or later, the golf course. Gotta feeling this time, your bill will come due next fall)
I know some will call me a homer. But this is now a joke.
And in my unscientific sampling of message boards across the internet yesterday, all I saw was unanimous condemnation of Brendan Shanahan's 3-game suspension of Andrew Shaw.
Then last night I saw, as did millions of other viewers, a dirty, unnecessary hit by a notoriously dirty player, that ended the game, likely the season, and maybe the career of one of the game's top players.
Four NHL officials failed to make the appropriate call— or any call—except of course penalizing Chicago forward Brandon Bollig for trying to respond.
Hossa did not have the puck. Torres left his feet after taking a running start, and planted his shoulder on Hossa's jaw at top speed. And, by the way, his arm seemed to come up on the follow through—further proof of his intent to injure.
There was no confusion or borderline incidental contact (as there was in Shaw's case— and for which he received a penalty and a game misconduct). No penalty was called on Torres. He "played" the remainder of the game.
Stay Classy, NHL.
Getting back to actually playing hockey, the Blackhawks were forced, with an already shortened bench due to Shaw's ridiculous suspension, to shorten their bench further. Which beyond the absence of two of their top players due to Shanahan's incompetence or Torres' dirty hit, likely cost them the game.
You see, it's one thing if you lose players because they actually deserved long suspensions (like Torres does) or they got hurt on clean plays. That hasn't happened here.
Sure, some will say: live by the sword, die by the sword— what about Duncan Keith and Daniel Sedin? Fair question.
Here's my response:
Did Hossa plant a (late) shoulder on Torres' jaw prior to the big hit (as Sedin did to Keith)? No. Was Keith penalized for his dirty hit? Yes.
Had Vancouver been already punished by having another of their best players unfairly suspended the same day? No.
Different circumstances.
For the remainder of their series, Chicago will have to play another rookie now to replace Hossa— or just dress him and let him play 3-4 minutes a night, while overplaying their few remaining veterans.
Phoenix will (probably, but never bet on anything that makes sense when it comes to NHL "supplemental" discipline) lose the services of their headhunter-in-chief.
And "supplemental" to what exactly?
Advantage: Phoenix. Mission accomplished. Bravo.
In fairness, this nonsense detracts from the credit the Coyotes are, in fact, due for their play. See, we may not ever know how this series would have turned out without arguably the worst display of officiating and "league discipline" I've ever seen in a major sport.
Keep up the good work, Brend-o. You and your refs are doing a fabulous job cleaning up the game: penalizing and suspending (or not) the wrong guys for the wrong things.
That's all I have today.
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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