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Quote:
Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan
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.
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If that call is made with any regularity, you wouldn't have guys obviously crosschecking others right in front of the ref.
I get some people would argue the rule is stupid, but the call was exactly according to the rules. Obvious crosscheck, obvious injury, clear cut five minute penalty. It's why Vegas wasn't protesting harder.
The reason they have that rule is because you can really easily injure someone with a well placed hard crosscheck.
I'm not a huge fan or NHL reffing, but that was the right call.
It's unfortunate for Vegas, but there was a crosscheck and you could easily argue Stastny deliberately checked Pavelski in a vulnerable position. It's not like they couldn't have avoided that penalty.