The real question is, how many 911 calls were made in reference to the hit?
I'm a Sens fan, and after seeing the hit multiple times, and in slow motion, I was mad about the penalty call. Who's ever heard of 5 and a game for interference? But I can't blame the refs for the call on the ice. You've got a guy lying in a heap out cold, blood everywhere (all from Eller hitting the ice by the looks of it). What else could they do but call the major?
The hearing is merely a formality, I believe. The hit was clean. Devastating, but clean. Gryba led with his hip, made contact all the way up the torso, and although he did catch the head with his shoulder, that's allowed in that kind of hit.
Darren Dreger is whining about the hit on Twitter right now. The "socially acceptable thing to do was to allow Eller to skate by. That's not how the game is played at any level". What a load of crap. Montreal was in full-scale track meet mode that period, and Gryba should have allowed Eller to blow by him on the break? Any coach in the league would sanction that hit.
The socially acceptable thing to do would be to not hang your teammate out on the clothesline like that. What in God's name was Diaz thinking? He's just as responsible for Eller's condition as Gryba.
Hopefully Eller is OK, although it certainly looks like he's done for the year. Of course, if Carey keeps playing the way he did in the 3rd, the season for Montreal isn't going to last long anyways. Those were some stinky goals.
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