from Luke Fox of Sportsnet,

Which side of the thin line your sympathies lie depends on a list of factors as long as Zdeno Chara’s stick.

The score on the board.

The importance of the game.

The amount of time left on the clock.

Whether you view the NHL rulebook as gospel or guideline.

The star power and grudge history of the specific players involved.

The number and types of penalties previously called against each side up until that point.

And, more often than not, the laundry you cheer for.

Take another look at the stiff cross-checks NHL superstar Auston Matthews absorbed from Montreal Canadiens defenders Shea Weber and Ben Chiarot in the final moments of regulation during Wednesday’s season opener while trying to gain a scoring stance at the net-front during a tied-up tilt:...

“Great to see NHL hockey back last night. Such amazing athletes & so much speed & skill in the game now,” tweeted Jeff Jackson, an Orr Hockey Group agent who help negotiate monster contracts for Canadian franchise faces Connor McDavid and Matthews.

“But watching the abuse that star players take is hard to watch. Felt like the 80’s with the cross checks in the back & the hacking & slashing. NFL protects QB’s? Why don’t we?”

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