February 15, 2011, HockeyPrimeTime examination of fighting in hockey following Pittsburgh Penguins-New York Islanders brawls

Islanders-Penguins II re-ignites fighting debate

Atlantic

Written by Denis Gorman

Tuesday, February 15, 2011 01:35

After the NHL handed down discipline for Friday's fight-filled game on Long Island, opinions were polarized about the implications. If fighting has a place in the game, how far is too far? Three days later, the New York Islanders’ collective anger was still palpable. They were fuming that Max Talbot had gotten away with a check to the head of Blake Comeau in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 3-0 win on Feb. 2 at the Consol Energy Center. AROUND THE ATLANTIC The NHL’s 28th-ranked team was incensed that the Penguins, and Marc-Andre Fleury in particular, laughed uproariously at Brent Johnson’s one-punch knockout of Rick DiPietro in the final seconds of the game. DiPietro suffered facial fractures and his surgically repaired right knee swelled in the bout. They vowed retribution for their felled mates. “Obviously, me as an enforcer, if there’s any hit like that and I’m on the ice, you can address the situation,” Trevor Gillies told HPT.com after the Islanders’ early skate Feb. 5. “Next game, we have to respond and be more physical than them.” Flash-forward to Friday night's rematch at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, a game that re-ignited the debate about fighting in hockey. The Islanders routed Pittsburgh, 9-3, in a game that recalled Jim Carr’s delirious “This is hockey! Kill! Kill!” call in the movie "Slap Shot." The final numbers were staggering: 346 penalty minutes, 20 misconduct penalties, 15 fighting majors. The hallway that separates the two dressing rooms was fenced off, according to the Associated Press. Afterward, it was the Penguins who seethed. Kris Letang swore to reporters that “there will be consequences,” when the teams meet for the final time this season, on April 8 at the Coliseum. The NHL announced Sunday that it suspended Gillies for nine games, Matt Martin for four games, and Eric Godard for 10 games for coming off the bench to protect Johnson from Haley. The NHL also fined the Islanders’ organization $100,000. “The actions by the Islanders’ Gillies and Martin were deliberate attempts to injure by delivering blows to the head of players who were unsuspecting and unable to defend themselves. The message should be clear to all players: targeting the head of an opponent by whatever means will be dealt with by suspension,” NHL Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell said in a statement. “With respect to the Godard suspension, there can be no circumstance that allows for a player to leave his bench for the purpose of coming to the aid of a teammate. “The Islanders also must bear some responsibility for their failure to control their players.” As one might suspect, the replies from the Islanders and Penguins camps were vastly different. “When I saw the suspensions on both sides and the fines, I was a little bit surprised it was just our club that got fined. You can ask the league about it. There's nothing we can do about it but put it behind us and get ready for Buffalo,” Islanders GM Garth Snow said Sunday afternoon. The Islanders topped the Sabres, 7-6. “I'm very proud that our team showed restraint. We came to play hockey and obviously, there's a lot of things that happen in the course of a game. I'm proud of the way our team competed, and I'm going to support my guys. “I respect the process. It was a professionally run process.” Pittsburgh co-owner Mario Lemieux harshly rebuked the league’s punishment as inadequate. “Hockey is a tough, physical game, and it always should be. But what happened Friday night on Long Island wasn't hockey. It was a travesty. It was painful to watch the game I love turn into a sideshow like that. The NHL had a chance to send a clear and strong message that those kinds of actions are unacceptable and embarrassing to the sport. It failed,” Lemieux said in a statement posted on the Penguins' website. “We, as a league, must do a better job of protecting the integrity of the game and the safety of our players. We must make it clear that those kinds of actions will not be tolerated and will be met with meaningful disciplinary action. If the events relating to Friday night reflect the state of the league, I need to re-think whether I want to be a part of it.” Lemieux's strong statement invoked an instantaneous and visceral reponse, drawn along the lines of pro-fighting and anti-fighting. Supporters viewed the brawls as a "black eye" for the league. Critics pointed to the fact that Pittsburgh leads the NHL in fighting majors with 61, penalties, penalty minutes, and major penalties. In the immediate aftermath, the debate about fighting in hockey was rejoined. Should the NHL abolish fighting? Should the league view the events of Feb. 11 as an anomaly? No matter its decision, the NHL may lose a percentage of its audience. Sport is often viewed through black-and-white, right-and-wrong, our-heroes-defending-our-honor-against-marauding-villains prisms. The truth of the matter is far more complex. Often there are no easy answers. Maybe the answer to fighting in hockey is that there is no answer. Notes The Hockey News’ John Grigg blogged an examination of the Devils’ 12-1-2 streak and laid responsibility at the feet of Jacques Lemaire and Ilya Kovalchuk. … The Rangers ended their six-game losing streak by beating the undermanned Penguins 5-3 Sunday at Madison Square Garden. Still, expect GM Glen Sather to be a buyer at the trade deadline, as he told the New York Post that “if a move makes sense we would probably do that.” Sather did note that he will not mortgage the organization’s future for a playoff run this spring. … The Delaware County Daily Times noted that the Eastern Conference-best Flyers have struggled offensively following the All-Star Break, having scored only eight goals. Philadelphia is 3-2 in its five games, including a 1-0 home loss to Los Angeles on Sunday. On Twitter: @HockeyPrimeTime and @DenisGorman