As a Devils fan this is where I really miss Scotty Stevens and Ken Daneyko. I would have liked to see Avery pull his antics going up against those two especially Stevens.

Posted by jkrdevil on 04/13/08 at 07:51 PM ET

Avery is brilliant. I can’t take these TSN guys talking about this violating the ‘integrity’ of the game.

It’s within the rules. It’s the playoffs. It’s up to the Devils to discourage Avery from doing this, not the NHL.

Posted by underthechestnuttree from LaSalle, Ontario, Canada on 04/13/08 at 07:59 PM ET

under… While Manny Legace, guest analyst on Versus says it was all legal.  Different but legal.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 04/13/08 at 08:02 PM ET

He was only able to get away with it because it was a 5-on-3 and the Devils couldn’t afford to concentrate too much energy on him.  I don’t think having Stevens or Daneyko there would have mattered.

Posted by K24 from NYC on 04/13/08 at 09:14 PM ET

Also, I wonder if he came up with that himself, or was told to do that by the coaches.

Posted by K24 from NYC on 04/13/08 at 09:15 PM ET

How does he do these things and not be condemned and ridiculed by everyone in the hockey community?  How do his team mates even talk to him?  Hes an embarrassment, whether those antics were legal or not.  What aggravates me to no end is that this is the NHL, and no one, for all their talk, has put him in his place.  My brother, who doesnt even watch hockey, was watching the game with me and came away with the impression that hockey players are weak.  That, of all sports, if that had been in the NBA, avery would have a broken nose.  And im freaking pissed that I agree with him.

Posted by CEE from nj on 04/13/08 at 09:56 PM ET

Ron MacLean and Kelly Hrudey of HNIC said a 10 minute misconduct could have and should have been called.

There is a rule stating if a player attempts to lure someone into causing a penalty, which Avery may have been trying to do, a 10 minute misconduct can be called.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 04/13/08 at 10:01 PM ET

I saw the Kelly Hrudy and Ron Mclean bit where they suggested he should have got a 10 minute penalty.

I disagree. I don’t think he was trying to lure Brodeur into a penalty at all. He was leaving some space between himself and Brodeur, he was outside the paint. Brodeur actually smacked him a few times and he didn’t react.

Screening a goaltender with your back to him isn’t that much different. You are trying to block his view. Avery simply turned and looked at him so he could do this more effectively. Brilliant.

Even better is the fact that Brodeur is a goalie who’s head you need to get into if you want to beat him. Avery certainly did that.

Posted by Laker from dapuddle on 04/13/08 at 11:28 PM ET

Rule 75.4 (iii) Any player or goalkeeper who, after warning by the Referee, persists in any course of conduct (including threatening or abusive language or gestures or similar actions) designed to incite an opponent into incurring a penalty.

That’s the rule you’re looking for.  I disagree that it’s the same as screening with your back to the goalie.  When your back is to the goalie, your stick is on the ice.  So many rules have been written to keep the stick low, why should it be any different on a goalie?  What really bothered me was how he was allowed to wave his stick in Brodeur’s face to no end. You want to get under Brodeur’s skin? Fine, just do it with your stick on the ice. I looked up high-sticking:

60.1 High-sticking - A “high stick” is one which is carried above the height of the opponent’s shoulders. Players and goalkeepers must be in control and responsible for their stick. However, a player or goalkeeper is permitted accidental contact on an opponent if the act is committed as a normal windup or follow through of a shooting motion. A wild swing at a bouncing puck would not be considered a normal windup or follow through and any contact to an opponent above the height of the shoulders shall be penalized accordingly.

So the rule is, keep your stick on the ice, but the infraction only happens when you actually make contact I guess.

Avery reminded me of that pesy brother in the back seat on a long road trip putting his hand directly in his sister’s face saying “doesn’t count, not touching, doesn’t count, not touching”

Eventually the sister is going to whop him one.

Posted by desdemona from Toronto on 04/14/08 at 12:48 AM ET

The high sticking rule is designed for when there is contact with the stick, and I totally agree with it. You are responsible for your stick.

There is however no rule that says you can’t skate around the whole game with your stick straight up in the air.

If Avery had been even taking fake swipes at Brodeur it should have been a penalty. He was not.

I think it was very clear in the video that his intention was to block Brodeurs vision and nothing more.

If the NJ D-man skated into Avery’s stick, penalty for Avery. No doubt.

Posted by Laker from dapuddle on 04/14/08 at 05:53 AM ET

Avery is a bush league idiot.

Posted by cupster33 on 04/14/08 at 07:12 AM ET

I dont recall seeing anything so bizarre, Avery looked like a moron at the time, but its Sean Avery we are talking about here.
I also believe it could have been called a penalty.

Besides the lunacy, Avery has played pretty well in this series.

Posted by PuckHound61 on 04/14/08 at 07:20 AM ET

And what did Avery do on the next shift?  He scored.  You know Avery is doing his job when people hate him and want to punch him.

Posted by Rob on 04/14/08 at 07:34 AM ET

I can’t stand Avery, but hey, that’s some ingenious work there. I think if he keeps his stick down and stays out of the crease and from contacting Brodeur, it should be completely legal and allowable.

Posted by philduba from New Jersey on 04/14/08 at 08:22 AM ET

He’s just lucky he’s not trying that in front of Ron Hextall.

Posted by Anonymous on 04/14/08 at 08:31 AM ET

Bush league is right.  It should be just like in the NFL...they shouldn’t be allowed to face guard.  Anyone that does that is a joke.

Posted by Anonymous on 04/14/08 at 12:31 PM ET

The NHL is now saying that an unsportmanlike conduct minor penalty will be issued to future act like Avery’s

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=360438

Posted by Rob on 04/14/08 at 03:27 PM ET

So if Sidney did it would they do the same? I think not.

If Avery does it again, but with his stick on the ice then it’s BS. Brodeur should have got a penalty for hitting him.

Posted by Laker from dapuddle on 04/14/08 at 06:49 PM ET