Strike Three Puts Ovechkin On Ice
In what should come as absolutely no shock to anyone who has watched Sportscenter for the past two weeks, Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin has received a two game suspension from the league for his hit on Blackhawks' defenseman Brian Campbell.
This one was a bit strange all around.First, the hit itself:
Now, the important details here. This was not really a dirty hit. Yes, Ovechkin is (or should be) well known for his rogue behavior - cherry-picking at the blue line on offense, hunting guys down for a big hit on defense - but this isn't really a dirty hit. Yes he went at Campbell from behind, but it was just to push him off the puck. The fact that the two of them were in the heat of the game flying after the puck is what cause the awkward impact and injury.
That being said, I think it was extreme for Ovie to get anything more than a double-minor for boarding and crosschecking. That's all this was. There was no malicious intent. However, since it was a major and a match penalty, it was Ovechkin's third of the season, which earned him an automatic one-game suspension, which the league (and Colin Campbell) turned into two games, since he is a repeat offender.
Some folks might read that Campbell has a broken right clavicle and ribs and say "good call" to Ovechkin losing two games pay (roughly $230,000) but I think Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau said it best:
"Brian Campbell is one of the best skaters in the National Hockey League," Boudreau said. "If he thought danger was coming, and he saw Alex right behind him, he would have moved."
I suppose Ovechkin's suspension shouldn't come as a surprise. The league's conscience as a whole was on alert after the Savard incident, and the odds were high that the next culprit would be made an example. It's unfortunate that it had to be Ovechkin, especially since this incident was more an accident of physics than malice.
So, Colin Campbell, you've drawn the line. Let's see if you keep enforcing it.
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