Suspension Scandals

After an entire day of patiently, then impatiently waiting, a verdict finally came for the suspensions to be handed out to Aaron Asham and James Neal. Final result: Asham gets 4 games and Neal gets 1 game. The fact that both were given suspensions is a good thing, but I don’t agree at all with what was handed out. Do you want to hear my opinion? Well, here it is…with a side of venting.

When Brendan Shanahan was a player, I loved him. As the NHL Senior VP of Player Safety, not so much. The NHL is a business. I understand that. And every business has some inside scandals and corruption…okay, corruption might be a little excessive. But you see what I’m getting at. My true belief is that this situation calls for a much harsher penalty for Neal, and a much less harsh penalty for Asham. But if that would have happened, there would have been a greater chance for a decrease in ratings for the remainder of the series. Typical.

The reason I don’t believe these suspensions were handed out correctly is the history of each player. Asham has never been fined or suspended for any type of dirty play in his career. For an enforcer to go thirteen seasons without any type of suspension or fine shows a lot about his character. He is getting four games for his first offense. The first offense was pretty bad, but not as bad as it seemed on live television. The cross check Asham threw on Schenn was in his chest, not his face. The intent was still there, but no real connection. The punch at the end…overboard. Definitely deserving of a suspension. And he got one. First offense: 4 games.

On the other hand, we have James Neal. He is up for suspension for not one, but two head-hunting hits. One on Couturier and another on Giroux; both on the same shift. Anyone in the world could have seen that he lost his head out there on that shift and was deliberately trying to injure anyone he could. That forty-some seconds was enough to get him multiple games, regardless of his history. But unlike Asham, Neal DOES have a history. In his brief career, he has been fined twice and suspended once for similar acts. When you put all of this together, there is no doubt he gets at least four games. If not for sheer punishment, then for the simple fact that you do not want someone like that to even have a chance to come back to play in this series. It would lead to high emotions and more situations where players would attempt to injure him. Not good for the game. So the chances of seeing him again are slim. But he gets…wait…one game! That’s it! Hmm. I wonder why.

Let’s look at one of the blatantly obvious reasons why Asham gets four games and Neal gets one. Reason: Sidney Crosby. The longer Sidney Crosby is in the playoffs, the better ratings the NHL (thinks they) will have.  Neal has been quite a contributor this series, and has been all season, for the Penguins. Asham hasn’t. So to keep the chances of a Pittsburgh comeback alive, Neal can’t be absent for every game. It just can’t happen.

So what do Shanahan and the NHL do? They flip flop the suspensions. Flyers fans, as well as many other NHL fans aware of the situation, would be livid if each player only got one game suspensions. Someone had to get hit hard so the NHL saves face. So Asham was the one who was thrown under the bus. Now everyone will be happy. Three players were suspended, and one was for four games. Good job, Shanny! But not really.

The league really needs to reevaluate which they cherish more: money, or the history and the pride of the NHL playoffs. The second one is at stake, simply because everyone wants more of the first one. It’s almost sickening to watch a sport I’ve loved my whole life turn into a manipulated league, catered to certain players.

As far as tonight’s game goes? Of course I’d love to see the Flyers win and sweep Pittsburgh. What Flyers fan wouldn’t? But honestly, I wouldn’t mind seeing a game 5 with Neal in the lineup, just to show Shanahan that he made a mistake. Because every time Neal steps on that ice, Rinaldo and Simmonds will be looking for him. And those are two boys you don’t want to mess with. Good luck, James.

Another Keystone State Battle?

“Philadelphia Flyers to face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round,” has been the scenario for a while, and now it seems almost imminent. Both teams have held the fourth and fifth spots in the Eastern Conference since January 25^th. No one would have expected it to stay that way, but it has. When you go back and look at recent history, a Flyers/Penguins matchup is a frightening one for Flyers fans. Will this year be different?

The previous two playoff matchups between these two teams have led to two Pittsburgh wins; and both of those Pittsburgh teams have gone on to the Stanley Cup, winning once. Granted, this year’s Flyers squad is a completely different one from the 2008 or 2009 teams. The offensive production from this team is like no other. On any given night, one player can put the team on his back and take over the game. That is exactly what you need from a team come playoffs. And if Bryz comes back playing the way he did in March…look out.

Although the Flyers seem like a scary team, every Philadelphia fan knows how dangerous the Penguins can be. They were hot before Crosby, and now he’s back. Yes, he is a weasel. And yes, he does whine more than anyone in the history of the game. But for some reason he finds ways to produce; especially against the Flyers. With the history of production against the Flyers by both Malkin and Crosby (I cringe when I hear either of those names, too), the Penguins are a dangerous opening round competitor.  

Alright, I might be getting ahead of myself with all this Flyers/Pens talk. Nothing has been set in stone. There is still a chance that the Devils could play the Penguins, which would leave the Flyers playing the Panthers. Let’s all pray for that one. But even if the Flyers play Pittsburgh, the Flyers are 4-1-0 against them this year. Although I don’t see a Flyers/Penguins series ending in 5 games, the numbers look good for Philly going into mid-April.