TSN: No discipline for Lecavalier - 01-16-12
According to TSN's Bob McKenzie, the NHL will not discipline Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier in regards to his actions against Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin.
At 12:11 of the third period of yesterday's game in Tampa, Lecavalier was given a 10-minute misconduct as well as two roughing minors after he attacked Malkin in the neutral zone. As officials broke up a scrum will all five skaters on the ice, Lecavalier struck Malkin the face with a punch:
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EN Says: If Malkin had been injured on the punch, the league might take action. That's its mindset, a crime can't be committed unless there's a victim who is suffering.
In 2009, Flyers forward Daniel Carcillo knocked Capitals forward Matt Bradley to the ice with a sucker punch:
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The punch landed Carcillo a four-game suspesion.
While several circumstances are difference such as Carcillo's discipline history and the fact that both players weren't in a scrum, the action was the same. Player A hit Player B with a sucker punch. Bradley just happened to end up getting injured while Malkin was relatively fine.
Garage league.That's what the NHL is. It always has been and always will be a garage league.