Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

On the Duncan Keith Stick Swinging Incident

03/31/2016 at 8:36am EDT

from David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune,

Only duty or instinct could compel anyone to defend Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith now, but stop if you're tempted.

Keith doesn't deserve your rationalizations, Hawks fans. He deserves your aggravation.

For such a smart player, Keith did a dumb thing Tuesday night against the Wild when he slashed Charlie Coyle in the face with his stick. Keith recklessly committed a vicious act that made the Stanley Cup a little harder to defend. He made a conscious decision to retaliate against Coyle, the Wild forward who took him to the ground with a trip that constituted interference. Landing hard on his back, Keith lay there for a split second and — in that momentary lapse — decided to swing his stick at Coyle in a blatant attempt to injure the Wild player. The blood dripping down Coyle's crooked nose confirmed Keith's attempt was successful. Had an opponent done something similar to a Hawks player, he would have received the Raffi Torres pariah treatment from the fan base.

That's no way for a Hall of Fame player to respect the game or an opponent. That's crossing the line between going hard and playing dirty. That's unacceptable, especially for a Norris Trophy winner who should have realized the potential repercussions by the league with the playoffs looming.

continued

from Mike Imrem of the Chicago Daily-Herald,

There is no defense for Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith's behavior at Minnesota on Tuesday night.

Keith -- on his way to the hockey Hall of Fame -- will make a stop on the NHL's suspension list for whacking his stick into the face of Wild forward Charlie Coyle.

If I were the league's Duke of Discipline, the punishment would span the rest of the regular season and all of the postseason.

continued

from Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times,

And imagine if Keith’s absence causes the Hawks to stumble into fourth place; Nashville is just four points back. Could the Hawks, in their current state, beat the Los Angeles Kings four times in seven games?

The Hawks are banged up. They’re worn down. They’re unbalanced up front and thin on the back end. And now Keith’s status is up in the air. Does that mean the Hawks can’t will themselves to another deep playoff run? Of course, not. The Blues and Stars have proven nothing in the postseason. The Hawks have proven everything.

But this is the worst-case scenario, limping into the postseason and leaning on a bunch of rookies and newcomers. No team in the league is as experienced and resilient as the Hawks are. No team is even close. But this right here, these next few weeks, might be their toughest test yet.

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About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

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