Brutal First Week Of NHL 2012 Playoffs

The 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs have started off with a brutally violent week of hockey. I blame a lot of this on the NHL and how it has been conducting itself with regards to penalties, suspensions and dangerous hits. The penalty calls have been extremely inconsistent this year, and last year was already considered bad. This year no one knows what will and won’t be called because it’s entirely up to the discretion of the refs and whether or not they say a penalty or simply decided not to call it. Because of this, players are taking matters into their own hands, “getting even” by playing dirty and vicious.

It was widely talked about in the last half of the 2011-2012 season (this season) throughout the sports media that the refs in the NHL were clearly calling less penalties than in the first half of the season. It was clear to everyone that upper management had told the refs to ease up on penalty calls. Now we’re in the playoffs, and some refs are calling things tight again while others are barely calling anything. Even within a single game the calls are extremely inconsistent, largely depending upon which team is winning and by how much at any given point. Add this to the small (couple of games) suspensions for “intent-to-injure” hits throughout the year, despite the league stating that it wants to take such incidents seriously, and you get the UFC on ice. Boston winning the Stanley Cup last year also hasn’t helped, showing everyone that playing tough and dirty will win you games and possibly the Stanley Cup.

My mom made a funny comment about it all the other day. She said, “It’s like The Hunger Games on ice!” Yup. Whoever manages to survive, not get killed or taken out by injury first, will win. But if this keeps up, there’ll be no one left. We’re not even finished the first round yet and there’s still 3 more to go before the top prize is finally won.

To show you just how bad it’s been, here’s a list of major suspensions and incidents this passed week alone. And remember, this is just the first week (1 week) of the 2012 Stanley Cup NHL playoffs.

In Summary

17 games worth of official suspensions (on top of the games that some of the players were kicked out of part way through) and $22,500 in fines during the first week of playoffs. And this does not include the indefinite suspension of Torres (he goes before the disciplinary board on Friday).

The List

Game 1: Vancouver Canucks vs LA Kings: Canuck’s Bitz kicked out of game and suspended 2 Games for hitting Clifford’s head into the boards from behind with an elbow. Clifford suffered a concussion.

Game 1: Detroit Redwings vs Nashville Predators:  Predator’s Weber slams Zetterberg’s head into glass twice at the end of game. Weber was fined $2500 and Zetterbeg was uninjured on the play.

Game 2: New York Rangers vs Ottawa Senators:  Ottawa’s Konopka was fined $2500 for loudly trash-talking Boyle as Boyle was in the middle of a live on-ice interview. Ottawa’s team was fined $10,000.

Game 2: New York Rangers vs Ottawa Senators:  Ottawa’s Carkner sucker punches Boyle and repeatedly punches him on the ice when he goes down. Carkner kicked out of the game and given 1 game suspension. Boyle was not seriously injured. Dubinsky was also kicked out of the game for being the “third man in” on that same “fight” sequence.

Game 2: New York Rangers vs Ottawa Senators:  Ranger’s Hagelin elbows Ottawa’s Alfredsson in the head getting a 5 minute major penalty and 3 games suspension. Alfredsson is out with concussion.

Game 2: Phoenix Coyotes vs Chicago Blackhawks:  Chicago’s Shaw nailed goaltender Smith in the head with his shoulder and was suspended 3 games. Smith was shaken on the play but not seriously injured.

Game 3: Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers:  Pittsburgh’s Asham crosschecks Schenn in the neck then punches him when he falls to the ice. Asham was given a match penalty and suspended 4 games. Schenn was not seriously injured.

Game 3:  Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers:  Pittspugh’s Neal suspended 1 game for 2 dangerous hits against Couturier and Giroux. No penalties called on either of the two hits in the game.

Game 3:  Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers:  Pittsburgh’s Adams instigated a fight with Hartnell five minutes before the end of the game. Adams was suspended for 1 game and the Penguin’s coach was fined $10,000.

Game 3: Boston Bruins vs Washington Capitals:  Washington’s Backstrom suspended 1 game for crosscheck to the face of Peverely at end of game 3. Peverely (remarkably) was not seriously injured.

Game 3: Phoenix Coyotes vs Chicago Blackhawks:  Torres suspended indefinitely after major hit on Chicago’s star player Hossa. Torres jumped at Hossa, leaving his feet and nailing Hossa in the head with his shoulder. Of note, no penalty was called on the original hit. The refs missed it completely. Hossa was taken off the ice on a stretcher and sent to the hospital. Also of note is that Chicago has made official statements saying how furious they are at the ugly and intentional injury-causing hit of Torres on Hossa… While only a couple weeks before, Chicago defended their defence-man Duncan Keith after he intentionally elbowed Canuck’s star player Sedin in the head and knocked him out with a concussion for the last part of the season and the first 3 games of the playoffs.

Penalties, Now (2012 Playoffs) And Then (2011 Playoffs):  On top of numerous suspendable plays that HAVE been called (and some that haven’t), as of the end of April 17 2012, a grand total of 804 penalty minutes have been called, which amounts to an average of 36.5 minutes per game. Compare this to the same number of games in last year’s playoffs where 564 penalty minutes were called, an average of 25.6 minutes per game.