National TV Audience Witnesses Decline of Washington Capitals

The disappointing decline of Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals was on full display in front of a national TV audience on NBC Sports Network last night as the Caps were demolished by the last-place Carolina Hurricanes 5-0 at RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. 

In a must-win game, the Caps played arguably their worst game of the season and were shut out by a backup goaltender. The moment from last night that really sums up the season and perhaps the end of the Ovechkin era in Washington, was in the third period when the camera showed Ovechkin hunched over with his head down on the bench. After a commercial break the camera showed Ovechkin again, still hunched over with his head down. He appeared to be sobbing but it was hard to tell. It is sad in so many ways to see what has become of the same player who only a few years ago was wowing the hockey world with dazzling, magical moves. And it is disheartening to see a team struggle so mightily that is only a few years removed from being the most exciting club in the NHL—with Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstom, Alexander Semin and Mike Green scoring amazing goals on a nightly basis and generating such an electric atmosphere in arenas across the league.

And I don't say this just as a lifelong Caps fan, I say it as a fan of hockey. The league is already missing the excitement of Sidney Crosby, but to see Ovechkin and the Caps, who provided so much hope and excitement for the fans in Washington, turn into this confused bunch of individuals struggling to do basic things like clear the puck out of their own zone, is depressing.  The Capitals have gone from a team with Stanley Cup aspirations to fighting and scraping for their playoff lives. 

I have lost all hope in this season and firmly believe the Caps must be sellers at the trade deadline and trade Semin, who becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, for draft picks. And owner Ted Leonsis must consider firing General Manager George McPhee, because he is the architect of this mess. With talented prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov coming up next year the Caps can dump the dead weight players and begin another four to five year rebuild with tough, gritty, character players in the mold of the Boston Bruins. Even if the Caps as currently constructed sneak into the playoffs this year, this is no reason to believe this postseason will be any different than their epic collapses and early exits of the past four years.

Maybe it is better to see this team for what it really is at this point in the season, then for fans to have false hopes that the Caps are actual playoff contenders as have been the expectations in past years. 

I will always be a Caps fan. I will always root for this team win or lose. I will be hoping for the best. One day this team will bring a Stanley Cup to the Nation's Capital. But it will not be this year.

- Josh Marks

Habs, Ducks, Hurricanes are going to fight the Blue Jackets for last

The calendar will soon change to 2012 but the same old same old will be the order of the day for some of the bottom dwellers in the NHL.  On the other end of the Bruins, Blackhawks, and Wild we have teams like the Habs, Ducks, and Hurricanes.  The Blue Jackets are a shoe-in for last but it looks like they have some serious competition from some NHL squads which just can get their footing.  The race for the bottom will be exciting and the winner will have the chance to draft like a rock star.    

The Habs are mired in a slump which has become a way of life.  The guys on the squad have zero confidence.  Trades will be needed here to shake things up.  There is also a need for a GM change.  Tough decisions are hard to take but they are eventually taken.  

We think Montreal will end up last in their division and if they can manage to slump well enough; they could have a decent draft pick come next year.

The Ducks are talent laden unlike the Habs and for some reason they still can't get a grip. The coaching change hasn't helped and just like Montreal; losing has become a way of life.  We see them making some big moves during the trade deadline.  This could advantage them during the draft process.  Bobby Ryan looks set to be traded.  The question is who wants him bad enough and how can the Ducks get better positioned for the draft.

The Hurricanes are also contenders for the best of the worst.  Staal, Skinner and Ward make a good nucleus for this team.  If they can draft decent next year; they will rebound the quickest and emerge from mediocrity.  They could be a southern version of the newly energized NJDevils.

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New York Rangers on a Roll - Blueliner special as Rangers down Carolina 5-3

The red-hot New York Rangers (14-5-3) earned their fourth straight victory over the Carolina Hurricanes (8-15-4) by a final of 5-3 in hockey action on Thursday night. New York has been showing true grit in this winning stretch, as all aspects of the game have been clicking for the Blueshirts.

Using a two goal lead to gain their fourth, the Rangers skated away thanks to the extra effort by their defense. Thanks to their efforts, two members of the Rangers defense were rewarded with goals as Ryan McDonagh and Michael Sauer found the back of the cage.

Things didn’t start the way of the Blueshirts at first, as Carolina scored on a face-off 0:35 into the first period, as Jiri Tlusty (5) recorded a snap shot for a 1-0 lead. Captain Ryan Callahan (10), who has been the face of the Rangers blue collared effort, recorded a wrister at the 1:42 mark to tie things up a one.

Jeff Skinner (11) recorded a slap shot at the 19:51 mark, to give Carolina the 2-1 lead.  The Blueshirts regained momentum in the second period of play, with four goals in the frame. New York has liked the later part of the game, as it has been the trend for the Blueshirts barrage to open up the game scoring wise in the second and third periods.

McDonagh (4) started the Blueshirts barrage with a wrister at the 8:54 mark, before Marian Gaborik (12) gave New York a 3-2 lead with a wrister with 11:50 on the scoreboard.  ‘Gabby’ was set-up beautifully on the third goal, as Artem Anisimov (11) faked a shot and passed the puck to the Rangers sniper.

Hardworking Sean Avery (3) was rewarded for his efforts on the ice with a wicked snap shot goal at the 13:47 mark of the frame, to give New York a 4-2 lead.  Carolina made it a nail-biter at the 19:51 mark, cutting the Rangers lead to one on a Derek Joslin goal-his first in a hurricanes uniform.

The Rangers buckled down in what was a scary third period of play, finding the cushion necessary from a goal from Michael Sauer-who recorded his first goal of the season.  Three scary moments afterward occurred for the Blueshirts faithful, as injuries to Marty Biron, John Mitchell and Derek Stephan all happened-thanks to the gritty effort by the guys.

Biron (28 saves) and Stephan (one assist, plus one rating) returned to the ice, while Mitchell (plus one rating, two blocked shots) did not return. John who left the arena with blood falling from above his eye, as the rookie was making his second blocked shot of the game.

The good news for Rangers fan is that Mitchell left the ice on his own power, though it is not yet known if there are any other injuries thanks to the sacrifice that was made. In the other good news department is that Carl Hagelin aka the Energizer Bunny recoded his fourth point in four games with the club-helping to set-up the final goal of the game.

New York will end this road trip with a visit to Tampa Bay on Saturday to take on the Lightning.  The game between the Blueshirts and Bolts is scheduled to air on the MSG network, with the face-off slated for 7:00 p.m.

Stacy Podelski

http://www.smacksportvideos.com/

Sensational Six for Rangers in 5-1 victory over Carolina

The New York Rangers (9-3-3) extended their winning streak to six straight games in a 5-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes (5-8-3) on Friday night hockey action. New York was powered by four goals in the third period of play, as it was a blueshirt barrage on offense.

In a physical game, Sean Avery opened up the scoring for the Rangers at the 9:43 mark in the first period of play, on a nine foot wrister. For Avery it is his first goal in the season, along with the first points earned at Madison Square Garden this season.

Carolina found the equalizer at the 16:22 mark of the second period, when Alexi Ponikarovsky (3) tallied an 18 foot wrister, tying the game a 1-1. The Blueshirts barrage began in the final period of play, as Dan Girardi (3) recorded a power play goal with 10:47 on the scoreboard.

The hard-working Brandon Dubinsky, who has been grinding it out for the Rangers-playing a stellar game defensively-finally, broke through for his first goal of the season.  ‘Dubi’ immediately celebrated the 13 foot snap shot, which gave New York the 3-1 lead at 10:56.

Captain Ryan Callahan (7) scored on a beauty of a backhanded shot for the 4-1 lead at the 13:47 mark, assisting on the play was Michael Sauer (1) and Dubinsky (7).  Thanks to his extra-effort on the ice tonight Dubi was named as the third-star of the game, as the forward recorded two points in the game.

New York capped the victory when Brad Richards added to the lead at the 18:26 mark, on a wrap-around shot, sending the MSG faithful into a celebrating frenzy.  The Rangers will now look to gain revenge on Atlantic Division Rival, the New York Islanders-as the two are slated to play on Tuesday night.

The last time the Rangers and Islanders met, the kids from the Island were able to skate away with a 4-2 victory. The game is scheduled to air on the MSG network, with face-off slated for 7:00 p.m.

Stacy Podelski

http://www.smacksportvideos.com/

SAD SACK BRUINS CONTINUE TO STUMBLE AND FLYERS CRUSH SENATORS

The Bruins continued their slide this evening with a sloppy effort against the Hurricanes.  It seems that Boston has forgotten all about last year.  They are not bringing it to the rink and it seems like the slide will continue for the time being at least.  Chara was a monster last year and this season and this season he is a non factor.  Claude Julien has to read the Bruins the riot act and get these guys to wake up before it is too late.

The disaster in Ottawa is getting sad.  They were crushed this evening by a Flyers team which is firing on all cylinders.  The Flyers are one of the best in the NHL and the Senators are playing like a Junior A team.  It is a sad situation for a club which could have competed for the Stanley Cup just a few years ago.  The Senators fans long for the return of attitude hockey.  Ray Emery was flashy guy during his time in Ottawa but the Senators could use him now.

Tuesday and Wednesday NHL Roundup

Apart from the previously reviewed game between the Senators and Wild there was only one other game Tuesday which was the Pittsburgh home opener against the Panthers.

It was an uncomfortable win in the end for the Penguins. Malkin was missing from the line up but scoring duties were again picked up by Matt Cooke and Kris Letang. The Panthers looked well organised and tough to break down. The Penguins had a couple of lucky breaks which helped get them the win. They maintain their good start to the season.

Onto Wednesday night; where there were 3 games played.

Colorado beat Colombus 3-2 after a PS in what was a very even game by all accounts. Landeskog scored his 1^st NHL career goal with just over 40 seconds remaining in the 3^rd period to tie the game and send it to the extra period and penalties.

Carolina beat Boston 3-2 in what turned out to be the Cam Ward / Tim Thomas show with both net minders making numerous huge saves. Boston struggled on their PP and have started with only 1 goal on 18 attempts so far.

The other Stanley Cup finalist, Vancouver, was beaten 5-4 in the other game of the night against the Flyers.  Claude Giroux was the star as he put up 1+2 but the Flyers found points from all over the ice which shows the potential  of the sniper brigade they have this season.

Thursday night will see ten different matchups being played with some intriguing contests. The biggest  two games see the Canucks play the Redwings and the Capitals play the Penguins.

- Adam Yates

Round Up Number 2 – Saturday, Sunday and Monday’s Game News and Highlights

Peter Mueller returning for Colorado – After missing a year with concussion Colorado will be hoping for a big season from the returning Mueller.

Ty Conklin returns in a Redwings uniform and shuts out the Avalanche 3-0 on Forsberg Day. Varlamov also impressive in the Avalanche net but Detroit find goals at the right time including a Zetterbeg – Datsyuk – Zetterberg, tic-tac-toe dandy!

Brad Richards scores his first in a Rangers jersey but Anaheim win on penalties. The Rangers losing both their games in Europe after either OT or pens.

The Sabres beat LA 4-2 in the other Premiere game and start the season with an impressive 2-0 record in Europe.

Toronto take a 4-0 lead into the 2^nd over Ottawa, then concede 5 in the 3^rd period but somehow manage to come out 6-5 winners! Phil Kessel getting the 1^st hat-trick of the season for the Maple Leafs.

Boston and Philadelphia both come away with wins after their encounter Thursday night. This time Bryzgalov shuts out the NJ Devils 3-0 whilst Boston beat Tampa Bay 4-1.

Mike Green gets the OT winner as Washington edge out Carolina 4-3 and Florida’s Theodore shuts out the Islanders 2-0 as both teams got their campaigns under way.

Both Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi scored on their Minnesota debut as they beat the Blue Jackets 4-2.

Other scores from Saturday night were Nashville 4 St Louis 2, Dallas 2 Chicago 5, Pittsburgh 5 Calgary 3 and Phoenix 3 San Jose 6.

Sunday saw the return of the Winnipeg Jets to the NHL. Unfortunately Montreal hadn’t read the winning script that the Jets were hoping to follow and they blew them away 5-1.

In Sunday’s other game, Edmonton beat Pittsburgh on penalty shots after tying 1-1 in regulation. It was Nugent-Hopkins on his NHL debut with just under 5 minutes left in the 3^rd taking the game into OT and then penalties.

Monday night saw first wins of the season for the Avalanche, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, St Louis and Vancouver.

Varlamov was again in great form as he shut out the Bruins 1-0 whilst the Islanders were again involved in a low scoring game, this time a 2-1 victory over Minnesota.

New Jersey beat Carolina 4-2 with both Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk picking up their 1^st goals of the season.

St Louis beat Calgary 5-2, subjecting the Flames to opening 0-2 whilst the Canucks beat the Blue Jackets 3-2. Columbus have lost all 3 of their opening games so far which isn’t the start they would have been looking for.

Washington beat Tampa bay 6-5 on a Shoot out after a 10 goal thriller whilst Dallas beat Phoenix also in a shootout. Not quite as an enthralling game, finishing 1-1 after regulation but finished off with a fantastic shoot out move by Mike Riberio to seal the extra point for the Stars.

by Adam Yates

The Highlights from these Season Openers Show Promise

Tyler Seguin’s pass to Brad Marchand for the opening goal of the season for last year’s Stanley Cup Champions was a stunning play. The length of the ice pass that put Marchand in the clear was a stunning play for a player that just keeps getting better. We expect big things from him this season.

There was a HUGE performance on defence from Philly on their opening night. Not only did Bryzgalov stand tall in between the pipes but when he was beat his defence were there. A fantastic goal saving clearance from Timonen was a highlight of the game. The Flyers must have been wondering where that kind of performance on D was in last year’s playoff series. The Flyers took their opener with a 2-1 win.

In Toronto James Reimer posted a shutout against the Canadiens, turning away all 32 shots as the Maple Leafs took it 2-0.

Marc Andre Fluery went from ridiculous to sublime. He let a Lappiere shot bounce in off his leg from a stupid angle then made an amazing glove save on Daniel Sedin and a post to post sliding save on Burrows.  He then snuffed out Vancouver in the first shoot out of the series and Pittsburgh took the game 4-3 after penalty shots. Both Fluery and Luongo looked shaky at times – early season legs that need to be shaken off sooner rather than later.

Tomas Vanek picked up 2 as the Sabres won 4-1 against the Ducks in Helsinki. Around free agency time when the Sabres picked up Leino, Ehrhoff and Kaleta I decided to put a little wager on the Sabres for the cup this year. After this performance I feel a little more excited rather than it being a stab in the dark!

The new boys got on the score sheet in the Rangers v Kings game with Brad Richards and Mike Richards picking up points. It was extremely good to see Anze Kopitar back and scoring too. The end result was a 3-2 OT win for LA in Stockholm.

A 3^rd period blitz by the Redwings saw them take their game v Ottawa by the scruff of the neck. The eventual score was 5-3 to Detroit. After taking a 5-1 lead they allowed Ottawa back into the game but the result was never in doubt. Neither team impressed but Detroit upped their game when needed.

Five different scorers tallied for the Lightning as they came from 1 down to beat the Hurricanes 5-1. The Lighting were  one of the impressive teams of last season’s playoffs for me and they continued to impress in the opening game of the season.

Nashville started their season with a 3-2 win over the Bluejackets. It was a tight game that saw Rinne make 32 saves on 34 shots to earn him the 1^st star. This was the best performance so far for a goalie who is a potential Vezina Trophy winner??

Kari Lehtonen plays a blinder!! He faced over 20 shots in the middle period alone and carried  Dallas manage to a 2-1 victory over the Blackhawks. His shut out was only broken with 14 seconds remaining in the game.

By Adam Yates

Wild’s Waiver Claim of O’Sullivan Hardly Oh-My-God Material

It’s not often you get a do-over, but, even so, the Minnesota Wild must surely be looking at its re-acquisition of Patrick O’Sullivan on Monday as nothing more than a “meh” on its indifference scale.

Who really cares that once upon a time he got traded away (along with a first-round pick) for Pavol Demitra to try and get Marian Gaborik to stay with the franchise well into the twilight of his career? Gaborik probably never intended on staying no matter what the team did, however much money the team threw his way.

Who really cares that the Wild have basically just gotten back a human suitcase more well-travelled than the worn body of a 40-year-old prostitute on the verge of retirement? All that matters is the here and the now.

Who really cares, all due respect to O’Sullivan and the publicized personal trials and tribulations he’s had to endure, about what has transpired in his past? It is just a business after all.

And who really cares that the 10-7-2 Wild are actually surpassing expectations early this season? No one should be, especially no one affiliated in any shape or form with the Wild, because to care would be to become content with what is still by and large a mediocre record. That’s why the rationale behind this move is so confusing, because the team has in essence turned to the one player who has been complacency personified over the course of his career.

O’Sullivan first got drafted by the Wild in the second round of the incredibly strong 2003 draft. While the first round saw such gems as Ryan Getzlaf, Eric Staal, and Zach Parise get drafted, even in the second round, names such as Patrice Bergeron, Shea Weber, and Jimmy Howard were still available to be had. Many thought O’Sullivan belonged in that special group of talent-laden players, especially after his 53-point season in 2007-2008 with the Los Angeles Kings. And yet his career took a different turn when he staged a mini-hold-out to start the following season, failing to show up for training camp and signing a three-year, $8.775-million contract four days before the team’s season opener. I mean, as far as salaries go, a $2.925-million-per-year average isn’t too crazy, but let’s just say everyone’s lucky Mike Richards didn’t captain the Kings then or we all would have been told to death just how bigger than his britches O’Sullivan was acting.

After getting the contract he wanted with the Kings that year, his production and development didn’t so much regress as it did just stall. And then came the kiss-of-death trade to the Edmonton Oilers, a three-way deal that saw Justin Williams go to L.A., Erik Cole go to the Carolina Hurricanes, and O’Sullivan to what would become the graveyard of his career in Edmonton, where he posted a league-worst +/- -35 last season en route to being placed on waivers this past off-season before eventually signing a two-way contract with Carolina.

"So, let me get this straight: I shouldn't be letting pucks go in my net?"

If you’re getting the impression that O’Sullivan is just an oversized human hot potato no one really wants to hang to for too long, you’re not alone. I mean, no one even took a chance on him when Edmonton placed him on waivers, leading to the Oilers trading him for defenseman Jim Vandermeer, his consequential buy-out by the Phoenix Coyotes (because the Coyotes are so adept at goal scoring, didn’t you know?), and his short-lived stint as a Hurricane.

Really, the only reason Minnesota is taking a chance on him now is because injuries are starting to pile up at forward with the none-too-bright James Sheppard still trying to figure out where he went wrong riding an ATV in the off-season, Chuck Kobasew nursing his lower body, Pierre-Marc Bouchard still out with a concussion, and Guillaume Latendresse conveniently requiring surgery to repair both a torn labrum and a bilateral sports hernia and taking his sweet time to return, lest he be discovered for the third-liner he really is who just got insanely lucky 20 times over last season.

As such, O’Sullivan should get plenty of opportunity to prove to the Wild (and to the Hurricanes, and to the Oilers, and to the Kings, and to the Coyotes) that the team made a mistake getting rid of him initially.

Hopefully the presumed chip on his shoulder isn’t made of potato like the rest of him and lasts at least the remainder of this year so he can resurrect what’s left of his career. And if it doesn't help the Wild right off the bat, so be it. It's not the end of the world. Because it is a move made to at least try and improve the team, because judgment should only be reserved for a few weeks in anyway, and, finally, because the only thing Wild should ever really live to regret is investing all that time and money in Gaborik.

Subbanator Strikes First, Asks Questions Later

You've probably heard it all by now: P.K. scores on the PP, or some variation of that clever line, after the Montreal Canadiens defenseman scored his first career regular-season goal on Thursday. He did have one last post-season, but everyone knows those don't really count. Despite it being his first goal this year, and despite all the hype leading into it, Subban is very quietly putting together a very solid rookie season, not necessarily one worthy of the Calder Trophy, but a solid one nonetheless.

"I only look this young in photos... and in person."

As it stands now, Carolina Hurricane Jeff Skinner is leading all rookies in scoring at nearly a point-per-game pace, with six goals and nine assists in 16 games. While scoring should never be the only criterion used to determine who should win rookie-of-the-year honours, it's hard not to be impressed with what Skinner has accomplished up to this point, essentially tit-for-tatting teammate Eric Staal, who has the exact same stats. Of course, Staal should never be used as the yardstick to measure success, because it's clear he's never really lived up to the expectations his 100-point season helped to set a few years ago. Still, hats off to Skinner, especially due to his being just 18 years old and three years younger than his next-closest competition, Buffalo Sabre Tyler Ennis, who has 10 points in 17 games.

Here are the up-to-date rookie-scoring-leader stats:

1. Jeff Skinner (CAR) 6,9 - 15

2. Tyler Ennis (BUF) 4,6 - 10

3. Jordan Eberle (EDM) 4,5 - 9

4. John Carlson (WSH) 2,7 - 9

5. Mark Letestu (PIT) 4,4 - 8

6. Kyle Wilson (COL) 4,3 - 7

7. P.K. Subban (MTL) 1,6 - 7

8. Logan Couture (SJS) 5,1 - 6

9. Taylor Hall (EDM) 3,3 - 6

10. Tyler Seguin (BOS) 3,3 - 6

So, for the record, Subban: quietly impressive, Skinner: incredibly impressive, Taylor and Tyler: slightly disappointing considering Skinner's relative dominance, Ennis: still looks like he got out of juvie a few years too early, and Letestu: it was nice while it lasted.

For a Guy that Looks Like a Red-Headed Stepchild, Hartnell Has Done Alright for Himself

Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Hartnell is one of the most-hated guys in the league... and it's easy to see why, not because he doesn't give up on plays like on the one above, Monday night against the Carolina Hurricanes, but because he also looks like that one bully you had growing up that would steal your lunch money and torture you incessantly, but who ended up a loser for lack of any actual bankable skills. Only Hartnell is making over $4,000,000 this year. What an ass.

Doughty Injured by the Injury-Prone Erik Cole... Ironic That

Apparently all the doling out of mere fines has, surprise, surprise, caught up with the NHL with the number of blind-side hits increasing exponentially. Now, one of the game's brightest young stars in the Los Angeles Kings' Drew Doughty is injured thanks to this collision from Carolina Hurricane Erik Cole on Wednesday night. I would say Cole should get suspended, but when Phoenix Coyote Shane Doan makes a case as to why he shouldn't have been suspended for his clear-cut illegal hit on Anaheim Duck Dan Sexton last weekend, it kind of makes you wonder if discipline for this kind of thing is a waste of time and energy on the league's part. Doughty will reportedly not be able to play in the Kings' Thursday game against, ironically, the Coyotes.

Foligno Should Be Looking Over His Shoulder with NHL Poised to Come Down Hard on Sen

Talk about a non-SENSical situation. Now that the bad pun is out of the way and the situation has been sufficiently made light of, it's time to get serious, which, in all honesty does not add any sizeable degree of logic to Ottawa Senator Nick Foligno's blind-side hit on Carolina Hurricane Patrick Dwyer on Thursday night.

It's abundantly clear that Foligno is not a dirty player... a fringe second-liner who may likely never pan out as the offensive threat he was envisioned to be when drafted in the first round of 2006, sure. But dirty? No way. And it's not as if Dwyer is the type of offensive threat or hated pest that would make for an effective target of such a dirty hit. In a lot of ways, it's easy to believe that both Dwyer and Foligno were victims of circumstance, with Foligno caught in a situation where he had to make a choice between making a hit or getting grief on the bench and he just didn't expect to deliver a head shot. But a head shot is what it was... even if some camera angles aren't exactly the most revealing as to its true nature.

Probably the best point made came from TSN's Craig MacTavish, of Harvey the Hound tongue-pulling-out fame. On Thursday night's telecast, he said (and I am paraphrasing here) that if it comes to a point where you have to ask yourself repeatedly if it was a head shot or not, it's most likely a head shot. As such, the NHL has a golden opportunity to set a nasty precedent and curtail these blind-side hits before an even larger epidemic befalls the league. Like the first snowflake of winter, these things have a tendency to snowball before you know it and the league can save itself a lot of criticism and headaches by getting it right this time. A 10-game suspension is strict, but justified in this context.

Rule 48 of the league rulebook states that an illegal check to the head is characterized by "a lateral or blind side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principle point of contact..." Foligno may not have meant to hit Dwyer in the head, but it did happen, making it the principle point of contact. Supplementary discipline is thus required, especially taking into account the fact that these incidents have become this year's Edmonton Oilers of hits... the flavour of the week if you will.

No, Foligno is not a repeat offender, but neither was Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson when he got a two-game ban for his hit from behind on Buffalo Sabre Jason Pominville. All things taken into account, the NHL would be justified in coming down harder on Foligno for the simple reason that they have a chance to nip this thing right in the bud right now, by making an example out of Foligno.

Hits from behind have gotten to the point where they are byproducts of an even larger problem: a lack of respect. There's already a penalty in place for checking from behind, but it doesn't work. The illegal-check-to-the-head penalty of the NHL's is brand new, relatively speaking, meaning players don't know where the line is. Show them. If a player like Foligno can get 10 games for an illegal check to the head, anyone can. That's where respect for other players begins... when it's your neck - and head - on the line.