After the embarrassing decision last week to not suspend Rick Nash after his cheap shot on Tomas Kopecky, another decision was looming on Colby Robak's "hit" on New Jersey Devil's player, Tim Sestito.
I know most of you have probably seen this already, but just to refresh here is the hit on Kopecky:
The news of no suspension on Nash was followed by shock, and then laughter. I mean, should we really be surprised that something so obvious would go unpenalized for a New York team that needs to make the playoffs in the NHL's eyes?
What really saved Nash during his cowardly actions is that he missed the head he was targeting because Kopecky was slightly bent over after letting a shot go.
Then came this incident in the game last night against the Devils where Robak nudges Tim Sestito, causing him to lose his balance.
You notice how Robak made contact with him six feet from the boards, and hardly pushed him at all? Notice how Robak had no idea what all the commotion was about, since he didn't think he had done anything wrong (and he was right)?
Word was after the game Sestito wasn't hurt. Notice how he acted like he just got shot? Someone might want to tell him this is hockey. Not soccer.
Since the Florida Panthers know that logic does not prevail with Brendan Shanahan, they did not know what to expect today regarding a suspension for Robak.
Somehow, some way Shanahan made the right decision by not giving any supplemental discipline to Robak, as this was more about bad luck for Sestito than a cheap shot by Robak.
Unlike the Nash situation, where he should have been given at least a penalty, if not a major and a game misconduct, Robak received the wrath of the refs for no legitimate reason. Kudos to Sestito for his Oscar-winning performance.
But there is hope for all of us I guess. Shanahan has strung one correct decision together, as the Lupul, Edler, and Nash situations were not Shanny's brightest moments. In fact, they were just the opposite.
Apparently Kopecky being tough as nails and Sestito not being able to fake injury well enough kept Nash and Robak from being suspended. But if Robak had been suspended after the NHL completely dropped the ball in the Nash situation, a small mushroom cloud would probably have been seen wherever GM Dale Tallon stood when hearing the news.
Thankfully we can move on, until the next Shanahan embarrassment.
Dan Spiegel...
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