Apr 17, 2015
Thumbs down to NHL on Subban-Stone case
The Game 1 victory by the Red Wings and the NHL's reaction to the PK Subban-Mark Stone incident have earned thumbs up and thumbs down after the first two nights of the playoffs from TSN's Dave Hodge.
By Dave Hodge
It's easy to say thumbs up to Petr Mrazek, and it's fashionable to say thumbs up to Mike Babcock for playing the right hunch and starting Mrazek, the rookie, instead of Jimmy Howard, the veteran, in Detroit's series opener at Tampa Bay.
So, sure - good for Mrazek and his 44 saves, and it's fine to add another feather to Babcock's coaching cap, but of course, he was downplaying that part of his contribution to the Red Wings' 3-2 victory. "That's not how I drew it up", offered a thankful Babcock who saw his team manage only 14 shots on Tampa Bay's Ben Bishop. What Babcock didn't say, and what he must surely be thinking, is that the next time Mrazek is asked to bail out his teammates like that, Howard is likely to see some action, too. Mrazek is the textbook example of a goalie who runs hot and cold. He's never one or the other for very long.
Thumbs down to the NHL for refusing to take the common sense approach to situations like that involving P.K. Subban and Mark Stone. The decision not to suspend Subban was made without regard for Stone's status as the Montreal-Ottawa series moves to game two and beyond. The league can only hope that Stone is fit to play, because if he isn't, there is no way to justify the continued presence of Subban in Montreal's lineup. It is often said that the player who injures an opponent should miss the same amount of time as his victim.
That is completely unworkable during an 82-game schedule. But it makes absolute sense in a seven-game playoff series. There is no justice for Ottawa if Stone can't play and Montreal benefits from his absence while continuing to rely on Subban for his usual 26 minutes a game. Subban should be suspended indefinitely until or unless Stone is declared fit to play again in this series. A maximum six-game suspension would seem harsh, because the next time Subban delivers such a slash, the other guy might not even blink. But the last time, an injury was suffered. "Them's the breaks" doesn't make for good NHL policy in such matters.