Over the past two days much has been said in the media about the Sabres lack of response to the flagrant cheap hit on their star Tage Thompson. The internet has been replete with vitriol attacking the Sabres as “soft”, “gutless” and the like over the fact that no one on the team came to Thompson’s defense by seeking retribution against Devils forward Stefan Noesen for his hit. Lindy “defended” his team’s conduct by saying that it was more important to win the game than to take a penalty in response and thus neutralize the man advantage situation that was upcoming in the game. My point is that the type of retribution the media and the internet has proposed does absolutely nothing to stop this type of conduct.
We all remember the Lucic hit or Ryan Miller a few years ago and the Sabres lack of response in that game. We all knew that the Sabres would , due to the embarrassment of not responding at all in that game, seek “retribution” the next time the teams met. Well what happened? Predictably, the first time Lucic was on the ice the Sabres sent out Big Paul Gaustad. Immediately, Lucic and Gaustad dropped their gloves and went at it. What happened? Lucic kicked the crap out of Gaustad. Does anyone really think that had Gaustad stepped in and fought Lucic the night of the Miller hit that it would have turned out any different? How did this “standing up for your teammate” in any way prevent this type of thing from happening again? Do you really think that an NHL player worries about having to fight someone as retribution for a dirty hit? It is so rare that anyone gets hurt in a hockey fight. There is no “i better play clean because someone on the other team might fight me” in the professional hockey.
Look at the Bruins Brad Marchand as a perfect example. he is one of the dirtiest players in the league, year in and year out. When someone goes after him he turtles and the other guy gets the penalty and Marchand laughs all the way to another goal. When was the last time you saw “retribution” for a dirty hit in the form of a fight really send any message other that “we have to stand up for our teammate” and make it look good to the media, fans and the lockerroom. I’m not saying that those three results are bad. In fact they are better than doing nothing as the Sabres did Saturday afternoon. There is a better solution.
The only way you stop a dirty player from the type of conduct which can cause serios injuries to your players is to fight fire with fire. Marchand isn’t afraid of a fight. If, however, you slashed him in the ankle and put him out of commission for a few games/weeks he probably would think twice about doing the same thing to your player down the road. When people talk about justice, the retribution must fit the crime. If you are coming after my star player we are going to take your star player out also. Do you really think the Devils care that much if Noesen goes out for a few games? What about their star Jack Hughes? You need to make the punishment fit the crime. You take out my star and I’ll take out yours. The absurdity of believing that challenging someone to a fight is going to prevent this type of behavior in the future is apparent do to the fact that these hits keep occurring.
You want to win your lockerroom, media and fans? Next time Marchand or someone takes a cheap shot on one of your teammates you make him pay. Make him pay dearly. I know that if my season, career, livelihood was going to be impacted by a dirty hit I’d think twice about it. Eye for an eye baby.