Questionable calls are going to happen in the NHL, something Las Vegas fans will have to get used to. Suspensions on the other hand, NHL fans tend to take their anger out on the wrong people. Take for instance Bruins forward David Pastrnak, and the two-game suspension he was slapped with for an illegal check to the head on Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi.
If you heard Boston sports radio yesterday, then you would’ve thought Girardi roughed up Pasta. That’s Pastrnak’s nickname by the way, and not a bad one I may add. Even the Bruins management complained about the NHL Department of Player Safety’s decision to suspend the young Czech. But shouldn’t the B’s and their fans be angry with Pastrnak? He contacted Girardi’s head, not the league. It makes it difficult for the NHL to punish head hunters if the team gets publicly upset.
Player safety isn’t getting any softer, and if you ask me that’s a good thing. The NY Post examined Pastrnak’s hit and agreed with the two-game suspension. What the Post didn’t agree with was the two-minute minor Pasta had to serve. If the hit is worthy of a two-game league benching, why did the Bruins forward only serve a minor penalty? The NCAA has a rule that any hit to the head or neck is an automatic major penalty. It’s not far fetched to see the NHL adopt a rule like that to further protect players.
