from Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,
There's a raging temptation to push for the NHL to punish Marc Staal with the same ferocity, the same lack of remorse that the New York defenseman displayed in hacking the back of Sidney Crosby's head not once but twice Monday night.
Both were committed with the stick, essentially a weapon.
Both were aimed at the most dangerous part of the body to strike.
Both were blindside.
Both were cowardly.
And you guessed it: Both were missed by both referees, meaning a suspension is the only remaining recourse.
“Hey, what's the difference?” as Matt Niskanen was telling me after the Penguins' 2-0 shutout of the Rangers in Game 3 of their Stanley Cup playoff series. “You do it, and you know all you'll get is a fine.”
Sad to say the man is right. That's Gary Bettman's NHL. Never mind protecting the stars. Not even the rabble among the game's players are safe from head assaults like Staal's.
continued and watch the stick work from Staal below...
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