Quote:
Originally Posted by crapshoot
I agree with this. A good case can be made that the call is by the book, which is exactly how they explain it.
My initial reaction to seeing the cross check was that it looked pretty bad, and looking at it now I still think it does. I would therefore argue that Cody Eakin carries a lot of blame for pulling such a stupid move, because no matter how you look at it, the situation warrants at least a minor penalty in a situation where it is completely unneccesary. Even with a minor the Sharks would have been invited back into the game.
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If that call is made every time nobody would be left on the bench. It was a push more than a cross check. Pavelski was off balance, was pushed by Stastny, and hit the ice without being able to protect himself.
It's okay to say it was just a sequence of bad luck. If Eakin's play is a penalty the NHL would never have 5-on-5 hockey ever again.