It’s time to engage in every hockey fan’s beloved game: “Will He Get Suspended?!” Today’s participant is Matt Grzelcyk, a defenseman for the Boston Bruins. Grzelcyk received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for spearing Max Pacioretty, a forward for the Washington Capitals, during Saturday afternoon’s game. Given the NHL Department of Player Safety’s occasionally unpredictable decision-making process, it is now necessary to examine the evidence and make a determination… WILL. HE. GET. SUSPENDED?! *Game show music plays*
Alright, children; here’s what we have: During the latter part of the first period, Grzelcyk and Pacioretty encountered each other in front of the net, preparing for a little jousting. However, it seems that Grzelcyk took this literally, and the tip of his stick blade ended up directly in Pacioretty’s groin. The pain inflicted appeared to be excruciating. At first glance, this is undoubtedly a clear-cut case of spearing, which would typically result in Grzelcyk being sent off early.
Nevertheless, is it worthy of a suspension? That is where it becomes challenging. Personally, I believe it probably is suspension-worthy. However, as mentioned by ESPN’s Ray Ferraro during the broadcast, it does appear that Grzelcyk, who is not known for being a dirty player, may have simply been attempting to restrain Pacioretty in front of the net and accidentally missed his mark. Of course, by “missed,” I mean he struck Pacioretty’s groin. This argument in Grzelcyk’s favor is compelling; however, I do not believe it will hold up. I anticipate the Department of Player Safety responding with something along the lines of “You still need to control your stick, buddy,” and subsequently suspending Grzelcyk for a couple of games.
If the suspension exceeds one game, I will be astonished, and if it surpasses two games, I will be appalled. As I previously mentioned, the Department of Player Safety occasionally appears to make disciplinary decisions using random methods or perhaps by observing a pig race at the county fair. There is hardly any discernible pattern to predict their actions, so we will have to wait and see how they handle this situation.
Unfortunately for the Boston Bruins, they suffered a 3-0 defeat against the Washington Capitals. This outcome is problematic considering that their old acquaintances, the Florida Panthers, are closely pursuing them for the lead in the Atlantic Division.
According to the Source outkick.com