Monday, February 12, 2007

Sens spension!


With Saturday’s crash and bash gathering still fresh in their minds, NHL officials laid out a little justice on Monday Morning.

Ray Emery, the Senators goaltender who laid some lumber on Maxim Lapierre Saturday night, will have to sit out the next three games as the NHL ruled against his behavior in the Sens/Habs match up.

Emery took his goaltender stick to the side of Lappierre’s face after the Montreal player crashed into him in the Senators net (see video here).

In what is becoming a bit of an open season on goaltenders, the Emery/Lapierre incident was only the latest incident in what is becoming a long list of physical activity in the goaltenders’ crease. That being said, we have to admit that Emery’s response was a little much and deserved of a punishment.

However, the NHL needs to remind its officials to be more pro-active in matters of goaltender interference and indeed out right assault, on any night in the NHL the forwards are becoming more brazen as they clip the goaltenders on the way by, or just bull right through into the back of the net.

To avoid further matters of taking the law into their own hands, the defensive tandems of the teams need to be more protective of their goaltenders and the officials need to be more dedicated to keeping things under control in the blue paint.

Otherwise, like the ancient days of Battlin' Billy Smith, the goaltenders will take things into their own hands and like Emery deliver some warnings of their own.

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