Bad Hockey

So there was no Bruins game last night (there was a Patriots game and they got slaughtered by New Orleans) but there were a couple of interesting moments in the NHL.

First, there was Alex Ovechkin playing like an out of control lunatic... again. On at least one occasion this year there has been talk about suspending him. Of course he wasn't because the NHL does not suspend it's stars, never mind the game's best player.

Last night though, he initiated a knee on knee hit on Tim Gleason of the Hurricanes. (was Gleason a Lock Monster? I don't think so. I think he was a Monarch which is an unforgivable sin in my book) Cam Neely fans see hits like this and get really mad. Cam might still be on the ice (that's a humongous stretch of the imagination, I know) instead of in the front office if not for a hit similar to this.

Take a look:


He is clearly guilty. There is no way the league can't punish him given his recent history of playing like an asshole. I don't care how many MVPs and scoring titles the guy has. He's always had a bit of a loose cannon vibe about him, and frankly that was what made him so fun to watch... that and the fact that he is so good he looks like he's toying with the entire league half the time... but he's just going too far. The league should sit him for a few games. I wouldn't mind seeing as many as five.

Of course the question is, how many of those games will he actually be able to physically play. He looks like he seriously messed up that knee. After watching Cam Neely... you have to wonder if he's ever coming back at all, or at least if he'll be the same player when he does come back. I very much want to see him punished for that hit, but I do want to see him back healthy when the punishment is over. That's just scary.

There was one other very interesting moment in the league last night. A stick swinging incident. This time involving Florida's Keith Ballard hitting Florida's Tomas Vokoun. Yeah, you read that right. This douche back played T-Ball using his OWN GOALIE'S HEAD as the ball.

Watch and be amazed at the glowing stupidity:


I don't know what else to say about this one. How stupid can you get? The league has said that Ballard won't be suspended... but something has to happen to him. If I were the Panther's coach I'd bench him for... for... ever. If I were the GM I'd cut him. How can you keep a schmuck like this on your team? How?? The good news here is that Vokoun seems to be all right. He was taken from the ice on a stretcher and brought to a hospital, but it looks like the extent of his injury is a cut on his face. I hope he beats the living shit out of Ballard. I don't like to condone violence or anything... but... but... Ballard totally has it coming.

Damn hockey is a fun game, isn't it??