• Tue. Mar 19th, 2024

Penguins Playoff Update: Policemen Wanted

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ByRick Buker

May 2, 2017

Those who live by the sword die by the sword.

It’s a Biblical warning to those who use violence as a means to an end.

While our Penguins generally are model citizens when it comes to matters of on-ice decorum, they’ve engaged in their own form of risky behavior over the past couple of seasons.

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Indeed, there’s something downright dangerous about allowing a foe to feel so empowered that they take liberties without the slightest fear of retribution. By assembling a lineup shorn of a protective presence, the Penguins’ brass have unwittingly put their players at serious risk.

Last night it caught up to them, big time.

Capitals Alex Ovechkin and Matt Niskanen were already feeling their oats when they tag-teamed Sidney Crosby into la-la land. To say nothing of Washington bad boy Tom Wilson, who flaunts his physical prowess with a flair bordering on arrogance each time his skates touch the ice.

It’s like watching a fox invade a hen house when it knows there’s no guard dog on patrol.

Niskanen, an ex-Pen with no rep for nasty play, pretty much carried his stick at chest level throughout Game 2, frequently using it on Crosby. Naturally, the referees did nothing to dissuade him…even when Matt ran Sid into the goalpost with enough force to knock the net off its moorings following our second goal.

Sadly, neither did Crosby’s teammates.

If Gary Roberts were still skating for the black and gold, the Caps’ defenseman would’ve no doubt been “encouraged” to lay off Sid and keep his stick to himself. Alas, no such message was sent.

Thus, it was no great surprise that Niskanen’s stick was head high when Sid reeled toward him after being tripped, slashed and high-sticked by Ovechkin five minutes into the first period of Game 3. Extending his stick and gloves in an almost defensive reflex action, Niskanen jolted Crosby in the right side of the face.

For every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. Sid’s head whiplashed in response as he crumpled to the ice.

My heart sank as I watched No. 87 reach for his head, in obvious distress. My gut twisted as he literally was hauled to his skates by Pens trainer Chris Stewart and teammates Patric Hornqvist and Ron Hainsey before gliding off the ice in bent-over fashion.

I’ve seen Sid in that posture before. I hoped I’d never see it again. He departed in a similar manner after being blindsided by the Caps’ David Steckel at the Winter Classic back in 2011, and again after colliding with teammate Chris Kunitz 11 months later.

In each instance, my worst fears were realized. Pray it’s not the case this time.

With our captain leading the way, the Pens have a legitimate shot at the Cup. Without him? Talented and resilient as we are, there’s only so much you can expect from a group stripped of the best hockey player in the world.

I truly admire the Penguins for trying to play hockey the way nature intended—hard, fast and clean. In a nirvana NHL, where every infraction is called and blatant indiscretions are duly punished, perhaps there’s no need to cultivate players capable of serving as ice-cops.

However, the league isn’t perfect. While it’s come a long way in recent years, the NHL remains a descendant of the shadowy, old-guard fraternity that looked the other way while opposing checkers literally climbed on Mario Lemieux’s back in a vain attempt to stop the unstoppable. A detestable practice that contributed greatly to shortening the career of perhaps the most luminous talent ever to grace NHL arenas.

My point? So long as opposing teams carry players who engage in boisterous or hostile activity, a team needs a player, or two (or three) who have the mentality and physical wherewithal to put them in their place.

I’m not talking about a knuckle-dragger who plays five or six shifts a night. They’ve gone the way of the Dodo. I’m talking about guys who can play and play tough, and—if need be—drop the gloves when the situation calls for it. Recent Pens signee Zach Aston-Reese is a prime example.

For the past couple of seasons, I’ve bemoaned our lack of deterrent. Maybe I’m a hopeless dinosaur locked in an old-school mindset. But I firmly believe if we had a couple of guys who fought fire with fire, the Caps wouldn’t feel so emboldened.

While we’ll never know for sure, I don’t think Sid gets bushwhacked, either.

29 thoughts on “Penguins Playoff Update: Policemen Wanted”
  1. I have been saying for years not that the Penguins need a Milan Lucic, Cam Neely, or Wayne Simmonds type player to play along with Sid. This stick hit probably wouldn’t have changed just considering the way gravity took over ( I believe Niskanen was already going to crosscheck Crosby and never let that idea go) but with the presence of a A-/B+ skill-hitter out there with him it would definitely change the way other teams play that line.

  2. Time to let Sestito loose. Yes, we’ll have to kill a couple of penalties, but perhaps Ovulechkin and Piss-cannon can reap what they’ve sown.

  3. Dropping the gloves doesn’t work anymore because the game has moved on. What works is what the Caps did to the Pens: open ice hits that take the competition out. As Sean Connery said in the Untouchables “He pulls a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue! That’s the Pittsburgh way, and that’s how you get Trotz!” It’s sad its come to this. It’s a no fun league combined with a boorish mindset. I don’t miss the fighting, I prefer skill and speed. A clean game where dangerous behavior is harshly punished is the only thing that works. I’m thinking of dropping hockey like I already did with football. Sports are the opiate of the people anyway.

    1. Hey Guy,

      I confess that I used to be an advocate of fighting. Not so much the staged heavyweight battles as much as a good, spur-of-the-moment go. However, I’ve grown to appreciate and enjoy the faster, cleaner, relatively fight-free games of the past few seasons.

      Still, I don’t necessarily agree with your assertion that fighting doesn’t work anymore. In the season opener, Tom Sestito went after Tom Wilson, who attempted to take out Conor Sheary’s knee during the playoffs last year. Thumped him pretty good. You hardly noticed Wilson the rest of the game.

      Along those lines, Sestito dressed against the Caps in a late-season game last year. He took Ovechkin out along the wall, carried the puck through the neutral zone, and set up Oskar Sundqvist with a really nice pass. Ovechkin didn’t chase after Big Tom in search of revenge.

      I’m not suggesting that Sestito’s a long-term answer. But it does demonstrate the neutralizing effect a physical guy can have.

      I’m not saying we need a ton of players like that. But we need to cultivate at least a couple of guys along the lines of the Blue Jackets’ Josh Anderson and Boone Jenner who can score the odd goal, bang some bodies and keep the opposition honest.

      I’m hoping Zach Aston-Reese is a start.

      Rick

      1. Rick

        Simple concept – you mess with Crosby or Malkin we go after
        Ovechkin and a couple of your other skilled players.

        Most disturbing thing for me to watch is no-one and I mean
        no-one did anything about it. Then we wonder why it continues
        to happen.

        Let someone take out Ovechkin and see what happens – there
        would of been hell to pay.

  4. Sid i hope all is ok and hope to see you in the next game .if not get well soon we need you .

    1. I couldn’t agree more, Deann.

      Unfortunately, Sid has a concussion. Let’s hope he’s not out for too long.

      Rick

  5. I thought hockey was suppose to be a game of skill; but it appears to be who can get away with being the biggest bully. officials get to get their heads out of their backsides and call all the the dirty penalties that they ingore

    1. Hey Frank,
      Welcome to play off hockey. The owners are happy because the advertisers like the rough stuff and we as ” dumb fans” continue to pay the ridiculous ticket prices and parking fees to see a play off game. In the play offs the Refs are told to throw away the whistles and keep the games close as possible.
      Hockey, when played under the right conditions and by 2 skilled teams is a thing of beauty to watch.Watch the Olympic hockey final 4 teams play. ( USA, Sweden, Russia, Canada,). It is fast , relatively clean and evenly matched.
      The only way to stop all this foolishness is for the fans to stop buying tickets and merchandise in all the 31 markets. Then maybe real change will occur.
      Mario, to his credit has been one of the more progressive owners in the league and has tried unsuccessfully to get rid of the cheap shots in the game.
      The only other thing I can think of to fix this problem Frank, is we need a 6’5″, 240 # power forward with speed,skill and snarl and his twin brother playing defense. 2 big guys and we would not have to worry about all this cheap shot crap that CBJ and OVI likes to do.

      Lets go pen’s
      Jim

  6. It’s difficult to know what was Niskanen’s intent. You certainly could watch the video and conclude he appeared to be “winding up” and did give Sid a “pop” on the chin. I believe the damage, no matter what that might be, was also attributable to Ovechkin’s slash. The flex of his stick wrapped quite a ways around Sid. That would require quite some force and was most definitely the kind of slash that should be considered intent to injure. It most certainly lead to Sid falling at an out of control angle. Add a bit of the old slew foot and you have typical Ovechkin, endorsed by the typical NHL blinders.

    On all other points, Rick, you know I also wholeheartedly agree. Unfortunately, Sullivan, et.al., do not. I understand the “just play” mantra, and it has worked well, but I will never understand the reluctance toward some semblance of protection for the teams lynchpin players. It’s like buying a Rolls then leaving it parked, anywhere, unlocked with the keys in the ignition, or never doing maintenance, or even cleaning it. In other words, it’s rank carelessness from where I sit.

    It does make me wonder how many more head shots can Crosby, and Letang endure? And, if anyone in the organization ever ponders that same question?

    They can still win this series, but if Sid is out, the angle of ascent becomes twice as steep.

    Regards to All — 55

    1. Hey 55
      Agree we can still win this even if Sid is out for the next 4 games. ( I hope this is not the case.)
      ..But we can not afford to lose to many more.
      Letang,Sheary,Crosby,Murray,…and others.
      Let’s take Ovi, Holtby, Matty N.and Oshie away from the Caps and see what would happen?

      For all their hype we are the deeper team.
      Let’s go Pen’s. 😀

    2. Excellent observations, as always, 55.

      I especially love your Rolls Royce analogy. I think what frustrates me the most is, toughness and ability aren’t mutually exclusive traits. Yet the Pens act like they are.

      I know I keep referencing the Blue Jackets. But Josh Anderson and Boone Jenner sure would look good in a Pens uniform. That’s really all we’d need … two guys like that.

      Rick

      1. Thanks Jim and Rick. I agree 100 percent. By the way, loved Junker’s closing line on his report yesterday:

        “Sheary also was injured when he was accidentally hit by team mate Patrick Hornqvist. Hornqvist wasn’t suspended either.”

        55

    1. Thank you, Leonardo.

      Unfortunately, Sid’s out with a concussion and Sheary’s in concussion protocol. Not the news we wanted to hear.

      Rick

  7. Rick,
    You are a lot more controlled then I am right now. ( Read my previous post please ). Ovechkin should be suspended for the dirty cheap shot to Sid’s head. 10 games for intent to injure.
    But of course the league will not ! What do you think is going thru Crosby’s families mind when they see their son getting a cheap shot again !!
    This could end his career in more ways than one.( As we discussed before ).
    There was NO need of that and to me it shows how desperate Ovechkin is to win at any cost.
    Last night I wrote something much more colorful and I was about to hit the POST COMMENT then I realized that we may have minor aged fans reading your blog , plus some of the ladies, so I erased it.
    But my anger is still there Rick. I can accept losing, I do not like it but I can eventually get over it, but to see that slimey, chicken-poop, cheap shot artist get away with trying to take out Crosby like he did…..I draw the line.

    And to think the NHL named him one of the top 100 players of all time and leave Geno, a decent respectable player off the list. Pleeeease !!

    We all should pray for Sidney’s well being and a speedy recovery.
    Jim

  8. Hey Rick,

    Hopefully Crosby & Sheary are OK. There were a bunch of goofy thoughts on what was wrong with him. I’m hoping they just kept him out the rest of the game for precautionary reasons, as to not repeat what happened at the stadium series.

    I still haven’t seen this cross check to the head while Crosby is down that everyone is talking about. I truly believe that the Niskanen play was just a reactionary play. The Ovechkin slash to the arm then head started it.

    If Sheary is out, I have no problem putting Sestito in.

  9. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Rick. Your piece captured my feelings exactly. Like you, I’ve admired the way the Pens play the game – “hard, fast, & clean.” My fear is that last night we witnessed the end of a noble experiment. I feel empty; that’s all I can say.

    Jayelene

    1. My numbness from last night’s attack is starting to wear off, and anger is setting in. It’s ironic, isn’t it? If this had happened out on 5th Avenue, Ovechkin and Niskanen would be sitting in a jail cell right now. But because it happened inside the building, it’s all ok. There’s something wrong with this picture!

      1. I know Jayelene.

        It reminds of the 1992 playoffs, when Adam Graves of the Rangers broke Mario’s hand with as wicked and purposeful a slash as I’ve ever seen.

        I really don’t think Niskanen was trying to hurt Sid. Although careless and unfortunate, his reaction seemed more reflexive than premeditated in nature.

        Ovechkin? While we can never truly judge another person’s motives, he certainly slashed Sid with intent.

        And the trip? Open for interpretation …

        Rick

        1. Rick, you and I agree more often than not, but not this time. I think you’re being way more generous with Niskanen than he deserves. What I saw was a man holding his hockey stick with both hands, using it as a weapon, and deliberately delivering a vicious crosscheck. Sid was defenseless. Maybe Niskanen didn’t intend to hit him in the head, but he intended to hit him hard, and to my eye, with the intent to injure. I don’t buy the crosscheck as being reflex, at all.

          As for Ovechkin, you know what I think of him. He’s an arrogant thug. If it weren’t for his celebrity status, he’d have been forced to pay the piper long ago, either by the league, or another team’s enforcer.

          Jayelene

      2. Right you are Jay.
        It could not happen to a nicer fella….haha

        I am as angry as you are….It will be all the better when we win it in 6 games, as we said, and the look on slime buckets face.

        Cheers

        1. Jim, I am not a religious woman, but I am praying now that the Capitals get their just rewards. And I don’t mean physical retaliation. That would be pointless. If we knocked out a couple of Caps a game for the rest of the series, they still wouldn’t have lost what they’ve taken from us. No, the sweetest revenge now would be to go out and beat them playing Penguins hockey – the right way, “hard, fast, and clean,” as Rick puts it. I hope the Pens are as angry as we are. I’m betting they are, and then some.

          GO PENS!

          Jaye

          1. Jaye,
            I am no choir boy either, and that is why sometimes my emotions get the best of me.
            I am really concerned about Sidney because the latest update from the local Halifax media said 2 hours ago he is hurt !!
            I hope they are just being cautious but I have heard these reports before.

            Let’s Go Pen’s.

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