I'm still not exactly sure what I want to write regarding Saturday night's loss to the Bruins. Was I beyond pissed off that the Pens fell so late in the game? Sure. But what I think has replaced this disappointment is both Neal and Thornton's misbehavior. YES, I admit my beloved James Neal did a shameful thing to a Bruin that I can't stand. I'm in no way defending him, and I believe he deserves the five game suspension. But Thornton's brutality towards Brooks Orpik was horrific. I can't imagine what parents at that game said to their young children. There's no way to justify his behavior. The announcers said it happened because the refs didn't call a penality...and that Orpik wouldn't fight....and so on. I'm not buying it.
Oddly, I actually LIKE that there's fighting in hockey. I've never been one to argue for removing it. But there has to be a line in the unwritten rule book of hockey fights. Maybe it's as simple as "don't pounce on a defenseless player."
Afterall, it's a game. Yes, it's competitive and aggressive and hockey players above all others get pretty damn banged up. But it's still just a game. Anytime someone leaves on a stretcher, it's gone too far.
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