April 15, 2012
One of the somewhat-overlooked storylines amid a wild ending to Game 2 of the
Coyotes-Blackhawks series was the second-period hit laid on Phoenix goalie Mike
Smith by Chicago forward Andrew Shaw, who was given a five-minute major and a
game misconduct on the play.
The NHL has yet to announce any punishment
but did release a statement Sunday saying that a hearing is planned with Shaw on
Monday morning, at which point league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan will
determine his fate.
If Sunday's other news was any indication, the league
isn't shying away from suspensions just because it's the playoffs. Senators
forward Matt Carkner was given a one-game ban for pummeling an "unwilling
combatant" in the Rangers' Brad Boyle in Game 2 of their first-round series, and
New York forward Carl Hagelin was suspended three games for a hit to the head of
Ottawa star Daniel Alfredsson, who was injured on the play.
While Shaw's
hit Saturday night initially looked devastating, with Smith lying on his back
behind the net for several minutes, Smith eventually gathered himself and
remained in the game. He said afterward that he was "fine," which was
certainly a huge relief for the Coyotes.
As for Shaw, whether the hit was
deserving of suspension is a matter of debate, with reasonable arguments
available on either side.
On one hand, Shaw didn't raise his elbow or
make any specific action toward Smith's head that would lead one to believe he
had an intent to injure, and Smith apparently wasn't injured. On the other hand,
Shaw made little to no effort to slow up or avoid Smith, who is not "fair game"
even when outside the crease (despite common belief about goalies playing the
puck). It was certainly a reckless play in a sense that Smith couldn't see Shaw
and wasn't in a position to defend himself.
Whether that's enough for
Shanahan to issue a suspension remains to be seen.
On a related note, the
allegations of "acting" or "diving" shouldn't be factored into the decision
since nobody other than Smith -- who has a history of concussions -- knows for
sure just how damaging the initial contact felt. Nor should Smith's status, as
basing a punishment on the result of the play rather than the action creates a
slippery slope (although Shanahan has already trekked onto that slope with some of his recent statements).
But if Sunday's suspensions are an indication that the
league is trying to rein in the rough, sometimes dirty play that has thus far
defined these playoffs, that doesn't bode well for Shaw. The NHL likely doesn't
want to create the illusion, even if that's all it is, that running a
goalie might go unpunished as long as it's not egregious.
-- Matt Swartz
