Paul Stewart: The Stew: Wilson, Ovechkin, Pesce, Mal Viola, Farewell Inch and More

On that Wilson hit not only did the refs inexplicably miss the head-shot, they also missed the follow-up cross-check to back of the reeling Carlo. On the same play, where the puck was, they failed to call two consecutive serious infractions.

Officiating over the last decade has declined. And the League seems to protect them - there's no public accountability. We never know what sanctions there are when they do such a crappy job. And yet all the players punishments are made public. Why the double-standard?

Yeah Stewie. You’re a dinosaur. So am I. I really miss the old NHL, for the reasons you laid out in your post.

Appreciate and agree with everything you said.

Thanks!

I haven't looked at the replays extensively but it seemed like there was a bunch of different penalties that could have been called here - targeting the head, charging, boarding, and/or crosschecking. It could very easily have been a major if not match penalty. He looked like a guided missile going in for the hit. Both he and Ovi commit multiple charging infractions per game and are never called for it. No other team in league has players who get away with this so much. I have to wonder how much the team that the player plays for impacts the discipline. If Wilson played for the Sabres, for example, he might have already been run out of the league at this point.

As for the DoPS, with Shanahan leading it initially and Parros now, I have often compared them to the UN's Human Rights Commission who has appointed as members countries like China, Cuba, and Syria.

The aggravating thing about Wilson is that his situation is similar to Brad Marchand. Both are talented players who could have successful careers without the cheap shots and shenanigans. When you see a total goon acting like a barbarian on the ice, it's expected - and that is why guys like Cooke don't really have a place in this league anymore. But Wilson is good at other things besides hurting people, so it makes his behavior more puzzling.

Why do that poop? Is it because they are alpha-male types who want to be the toughest guy on the playground? Or do they just play so recklessly and without empathy for others, that they just hit the hell out of everything and consequences be damned?

Either way, it's not fun or entertaining to see players get seriously injured and have their careers shortened or threatened just so a guy like Wilson can bask in the momentary glow of satisfaction that comes from laying a guy out.

The aggravating thing about Wilson is that his situation is similar to Brad Marchand. Both are talented players who could have successful careers without the cheap shots and shenanigans. When you see a total goon acting like a barbarian on the ice, it's expected - and that is why guys like Cooke don't really have a place in this league anymore. But Wilson is good at other things besides hurting people, so it makes his behavior more puzzling.
- GalacticStone

For most of his time in Pittsburgh Cooke was a solid third line player. A lot people forget this nowadays. He was instrumental in making the third line click during the Pens 2009 Cup run (and a solid third line is often necessary in order to win the Cup). His suspension for elbowing McDonaugh in the head just before the 2011 or 12 playoffs, resulting in his suspension throughout those playoffs, really hurt the Pens that playoffs and expedited his exit from the team.

Yes he was very dirty but he was an NHL-caliber player while he was in Pittsburgh. True, he was not as good as Wilson and nowhere near as good and Marchand but he was definitely several notches above the likes of Raffi Torres and Patrick Kaleta in terms of talent (so was Carcillo, for that matter, who was a solid third line player for a number of years).

As for Marchand I don't know how Crosby was able to stand playing on the same line as him in the 2016 World Cup . I am sure that Crosby and Bergeron got along well together but Marchand seems like the type of guy who is obnoxious both on and off the ice.

For most of his time in Pittsburgh Cooke was a solid third line player. A lot people forget this nowadays. He was instrumental in making the third line click during the Pens 2009 Cup run (and a solid third line is often necessary in order to win the Cup). His suspension for elbowing McDonaugh in the head just before the 2011 or 12 playoffs, resulting in his suspension throughout those playoffs, really hurt the Pens that playoffs and expedited his exit from the team.

Yes he was very dirty but he was an NHL-caliber player while he was in Pittsburgh. True, he was not as good as Wilson and nowhere near as good and Marchand but he was definitely several notches above the likes of Raffi Torres and Patrick Kaleta in terms of talent (so was Carcillo, for that matter, who was a solid third line player for a number of years).

As for Marchand I don't know how Crosby was able to stand playing on the same line as him in the 2016 World Cup . I am sure that Crosby and Bergeron got along well together but Marchand seems like the type of guy who is obnoxious both on and off the ice.
- PghPens668771

Yeah, I did forget that about Cooke. I guess he's another example of a player who could have had a more successful career if he had been able to keep his worst impulses in check. I think you can measure a player's "dirtiness" by how the other players around the league see them. Most times, players are reluctant to criticize or speak out against other players (even on other teams), so this can be hard to gauge. But, thanks to social media, loose lips, and leaks, you can occasionally get a pulse on how a player is viewed league-wide by his peers. I would wager that Wilson is not well-liked or respected by many. He might be feared to some degree, but I doubt there is a lot of mutual respect going on there.