Chris Simon

I can't believe it, but Sean Avery is the voice of reason. Here is what he said to the New York Daily News:

"That's bleeping embarrassing - I think that's just as bad as what Marty McSorley did to (Donald) Brashear," Rangers winger Sean Avery said, referring to the infamous clubbing from Feb.21, 2000, that drew a rest-of-that-season (23-game) suspension and an assault conviction. "You can't just two-hand a guy in the face with your stick."

Yep, the hit last night on Ryan Hollweg by Chris Simon was not only dangerous, but embarrassing. In a fit of blinding anger, Simon embarrassed the team, his coach, the organization, and himself. He's brought a much needed element to the Islanders this year--that of accountability on the ice--but now, you have to think he is going to be lost for the rest of the regular season at least.

I hate hate hate when this stuff happens because it gives the haters something to hang their hat on. Expect it to be played over and over and over while talking heads who know nothing about the sport debate the merits of hockey-playing "meatheads". I saw the replay this morning on Early Today before work and I've been told that it was discussed on ESPN radio during drive time. How sad is that? We had to have something indefensible like this incident to make Mike and Mike stop talking incessantly about college basketball.

Intent to injure is, as I said, damn near indefensible. The (ahem) brain trust in Toronto has been incredibly lenient this year regarding suspensions--Cam Janssen getting 3 games for hitting Tomas Kaberle three days after he got rid of the puck is a joke--but you can bet your bottom dollar that they'll be playing make-up on this one. Simon deserves nothing less than ten games, in my book. Not only is Simon lucky that Hollweg wasn't seriously injured, but his penalty is directly responsible for the Islanders losing the game last night because they scored on the ensuing power play!

Regarding the "goal that wasn't a goal", the War Room in TO totally blew a chance to make it right. The officials live missed it but the video replays showed some white area between the edge of the puck and the goal line. Now, the fact that the puck was on edge made it tricky, for sure, but you have to have the feeling that we were robbed on that one.

I think the most troubling aspect of the game for the Islanders (aside from the hit) was the fact that Ryan Smyth obviously could not put any weight on his right foot as he skated off at the end of the game. All of the reports that I have read today have not had any information about the injury but it sure did not look good. I guess we need to wait and see what happens to see if the Islanders make any statements about his status later today.