Of course there’s no suspension.  Why would there be?  He only crosschecked a dude in the neck!

Posted by Garth on 05/05/09 at 01:38 PM ET

People need to realize that everything looks bad and intentional in slowmo. Watch it in full speed. He knocks into him. Was it intentional? Who knows. Not me. Not you. Not Varlamov. Not Ovechkin.
Chris Kunitz is the only one who knows. Full speed he just runs into him a bit. It could have been an accident just as easily as it could have been intentional.

Posted by Kstewy16 on 05/05/09 at 01:42 PM ET

Whoa, the league letting the Pens off the hook.  No way.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 05/05/09 at 01:47 PM ET

Chris Kunitz is the only one who knows.

Good point. The league should ask him whether or not he thinks he should be suspended.

*facepalm*

Posted by Mandingo from The Garage on 05/05/09 at 01:49 PM ET

Mandingo, all I’m saying is that its incidental contact. Hasn’t been a suspension for that all season, why should there be now?

And even if you want to call it an intentional cross check, then I guess the league favors the Caps and Flyers as well since we saw Orpik Cooke and Eaton all take sticks to the chops/nose and no calls made.

Where’s all the people crying about those non calls? Oh thats right, this is a Wings blog. Sorry…

Posted by Kstewy16 on 05/05/09 at 01:56 PM ET

Chris Kunitz, meet Alex Ovechkin’s shoulder.  The doctor will be with you shortly, after he finishes tending to Sidney’s sore throat.

Posted by Right Winger from Arlington, VA on 05/05/09 at 01:57 PM ET

People need to realize that everything looks bad and intentional in slowmo. Watch it in full speed. He knocks into him. Was it intentional? Who knows. Not me. Not you. Not Varlamov. Not Ovechkin.
Chris Kunitz is the only one who knows. Full speed he just runs into him a bit. It could have been an accident just as easily as it could have been intentional.

I could have sworn the league said that players need to be responsible for their stick no matter what, accident or not, but I guess that only applies to everyone but Kunitz.

Posted by YYZerman from Detroit, Michigan on 05/05/09 at 01:58 PM ET

Kstewy16, youre a moron. why dont you just throw in witchcraft / sorcery as a possible motive too since we cant “check on it.”

if anyone needs protecting, its goalies, and they get ran over all the time (Franzen) for the sake of the league wanting some game story and drama. dont upset the wings, dont upset Disney Crosby. teehee.

barf.
next time Kunitz steps in the crease, id take his head off and then just tell the league “they have no idea if it was intentional or not” with my best Dexter face on.

Posted by Death Metal Nightmare from MKE on 05/05/09 at 02:00 PM ET

Mandingo, all I’m saying is that its incidental contact. Hasn’t been a suspension for that all season, why should there be now?

Where’s all the people crying about those non calls? Oh thats right, this is a Wings blog. Sorry…

Why do all you idiots always use the “2-year old Defense”? Just because someone else did doesn’t make it right. How old are you? He freaking hit someone in the face with his stick, what other proof do you need.

Posted by YYZerman from Detroit, Michigan on 05/05/09 at 02:01 PM ET

I could have sworn the league said that players need to be responsible for their stick no matter what, accident or not, but I guess that only applies to everyone but Kunitz.

Yes, exactly. For a HIGH STICKING penalty. Not for a f’ing suspension.

The refs missed a call, wow, they only do that 20 times a game, it doesn’t mean Kunitz should be suspended.

Posted by Kstewy16 on 05/05/09 at 02:02 PM ET

Someone needs to check Coly Campbell’s wacky wheel-o-justice. He must have busted the spinny part dishing out Brashear’s hefty suspension. It seems to be stuck on “no suspension” ever since.

Kstewy—Even if we buy your point (After all, the whole game happens fast, doesn’t it? Why ever call anything?)—the Kunitz hit was goaltender interference at the very least. Was that call made? What? Crosby scored just a bit later to complete his hat trick? Oh well, then I guess justice was served.

I think Mike Babcock summed the situation up pretty well when speaking about another recent non-suspension (added boldface for emphasis)...

“It doesn’t matter what I think … I want to make that real clear. They don’t care what I think. To me, I think we’re supposed to be protecting each other’s heads. That’s it. That’s all I’ve got.”

Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 05/05/09 at 02:03 PM ET

You guys are all talking about a non call for a 2 minute minor.

Wow.

Last time I checked, the NHL doesn’t make up for a missed 2 minute minor call by handing out a suspension.

Was this a suspension worthy act? No. End of story. Good day.

Posted by Kstewy16 on 05/05/09 at 02:05 PM ET

Tuesday morning Ovechkin called the play “dirty” and said, “I think the League has to do something about it. It’s a cheap shot and it’s not good for hockey.”

This from a guy who fell in wrenching pain clutching his face like he lost three teeth when he was sticked in the hip/thigh area at centre ice, drawing a penalty.  Amazingly he’s back on the ice without a scratch twenty seconds later to score his second goal of the night, on the power play.

Tell me again what’s good for hockey and what’s not?

Posted by Prince George on 05/05/09 at 02:13 PM ET

Guys you need to explain yourself in douchespeak so Kstewy will understand you.

The Craps Joke goalie, Lady Varmalade,  was jobbed hard with a crosscheck above the ear.  No call by the refs. Joke.  Bing buries it as a result. Wooooo!

Something along those lines.

Posted by WingsFanInBeanLand from Lidstrom's head telling him 1 more year on 05/05/09 at 02:41 PM ET

Remember, everyone is entitled to their opinion…

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 05/05/09 at 02:45 PM ET

Remember, everyone is entitled to their opinion…

No harm done.  Just doing a little “jobbing”.

Personally I think had it been a different player on a different team maybe there would have been a suspension.  Now you must excuse me.  I have a new foil hat to try on.

Posted by WingsFanInBeanLand from Lidstrom's head telling him 1 more year on 05/05/09 at 02:52 PM ET

WingsFanInBeanLand, I know that.

Just want to make sure it doesn’t turn into something else.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 05/05/09 at 02:54 PM ET

You know, when I said earlier that there would be no suspension solely because Kunitz is Canadian and Valarmov is Russian and the league didn’t need any other facts to make a determination I was joking.

But this inconsistency and lack of transparancy borders on deplorable.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/05/09 at 03:01 PM ET

Wings fans, your missing my point.

Was it a missed called? Yes. But those happen all the time. Get over it. (But then again, this is the Pens we’re talking about, so somewhere Bettman is smiling)

Is it a suspension worthy hit? No.

Posted by Kstewy16 on 05/05/09 at 03:04 PM ET

Everyone is entitled to their opinion.  Everyone is not entitled to have their opinion taken seriously, nor are they entitled to immunity from being mocked when they fire their opinions into the air for others to see.

It was obviously a dirty shot.  That it happened near the end of game where the NHL stupidly allows referees to stop doing their jobs is partially why it didn’t get a penalty.  Of course, that the NHL largely has terrible refs contributed mightily to the absence of a call as well.  That Kunitz didn’t receive a suspension for his dirty shot isn’t even remotely surprising, as the league offices are either biased, inconsistent, stupid… or, most likely, all three… when it comes to disciplining this kind of behavior.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 05/05/09 at 03:05 PM ET

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says he will be fined.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 05/05/09 at 03:12 PM ET

Remember, everyone is entitled to their opinion…

No matter how wrong and misguided it is.

Kstewy16, I have to agree with the assessment that you are a moron. Why? Certainly not because you think Kunitz’s conduct deserved a suspension. Reasonable and unreasonable minds could differ on that point.

No, I agree that you are a moron because of this:

He knocks into him. Was it intentional? Who knows. Not me.

Kunitz did not skate through the crease and merely bump into Varly. With both hands on his stick spread about two feet apart, he lifted his stick off the ice, drew it back up against his body and then violently shoved his hands forward causing his stick to hit Varly’s head and throat. In particular, look at how Kunitz draws his right elbow back before thrusting it forward. That is an intentional act my friend.

Does it deserve a suspension. Obviously not. Kunitz is Canadian while his target was Russian, Kunitz plays with GBB, and Kunitz is a former Duck. Any one of these factors is enough justify the decision not to suspend. Put all three together and Varly is lucky he wasn’t suspended for scratching Kunitz’s stick.

Posted by CaptainDennisPolonich from Warm and sunny SoCal on 05/05/09 at 03:14 PM ET

Is it a suspension worthy hit? No.

No, you’re completely correct on that one.  It wasn’t a suspension worthy hit…because it wasn’t a hit.

It was a crosscheck.

In the neck.

A suspension-worthy cross check in the neck.

Posted by Garth on 05/05/09 at 03:24 PM ET

Last I checked a crosscheck to the head is grounds for a suspension.  However, as an ex-Duck and current Penguin, he is immune from all suspension consideration.

Posted by John W. on 05/05/09 at 03:45 PM ET

Wings fans, your missing my point.

The Wings weren’t playing in the game, so their team of choice is irrelevant.  And I doubt that everyone weighing in is a Wings fan, either.

Was it a missed called? Yes. But those happen all the time. Get over it.

Goalies don’t routinely get smacked across the throat with a stick.  Bumped, yes, run over, yes, pads nudged, yes - but they don’t get crosschecked in the neck.

(But then again, this is the Pens we’re talking about, so somewhere Bettman is smiling)

Probably.

Is it a suspension worthy hit? No.

It wasn’t a hit.  It was a stick to the head region, and the NHL has (once in a while) come down very hard on those because they are so dangerous.  You don’t go around whacking people in the heads with a stick.

Posted by Kstewy16 on 05/05/09 at 04:04 PM ET

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/05/09 at 04:21 PM ET

Of course there’s no suspension.  Why would there be?  He only crosschecked a dude in the neck!

garth, you cant forgetting pens are bettman’s model nhl team. he thinks every teams should be like them and practice the art of diving and whinning

Posted by FlyersFan on 05/05/09 at 04:59 PM ET

When is the last time you accidentally cross checked someone in the neck?  Anyone who has ever played hockey can tell you that accidental cross check is an oxymoron.

Posted by Chris on 05/05/09 at 05:15 PM ET