The Death of Blair Betts

So we made it in. And are having a pretty good run, considering everyone thought we would be swept by the unstoppable and amazingly marketable Caps. But here we are. Next game is do or die. Speaking of dead, Blair Betts is gone thanks to this cheap shot of cheap shots:



Wow. I mean, wow. This should be a suspension, no doubt. The strange thing is, there wasn't even a penalty called on the hit. Suspension worthy? Let's break it down:

1) It was a late hit: Betts had dumped the puck in a good two seconds or so before the hit connected. It's one thing when a D man is playing the puck and you give him a bump, that's part of the game. But to give a late hit to someone who is dumping the puck while both teams are changing lines? That's classless.

2) The elbow: You see that video up there? Pause it at the 54 second mark and tell me what you see. I'll wait here. You good? Ok. Look at that elbow. Even if Brashear made contact with his shoulder, the elbow was riding VERY high. Even if the initial hit was clean (which it wasn't), he basically uppercuts Betts with the followthrough. Hell, add in a "Tiger Uppercut!" soundbite and we can start calling him Donald "Sagat" Brashear it was that blatant. What I'm trying to say is that even if his elbow was tucked, it was still in a position that caused serious damage to another player's...

3) HEAD! Hey! Remember how the NHL was really trying to cut down on cheap shots to the noggin? Well, this is a clear case of one, so let's see how they react. Not only was it a shot (with an elbow, tucked or not) right to the head, but it was a blindside hit, which greatly increases the likelihood of...

4) INJURY! God love the NHL, but they penalize injuries, not actions. However, in this case, both warrant suspension. Betts was rocked and had to be helped off the ice, probably with a concussion. Without giving any details, his injury has already been described as "serious" by the Rangers.

5) REPUTATION! Remember when Chris Simon kept getting suspended? The NHL takes these things into consideration. Brash has been previously suspended for laying a questionable hit on an Icelander, so he has a rep. This won't help him.

In the end though, it doesn't matter. His 2:05 minutes of ice time will not be missed. A bag of pucks could replace him quite well. The Rangers, on the other hand, lose not only my favorite guy on the roster, but a key member of the PK. Don't believe me that it'll matter? Just look what the Caps did to the Rangers post Betts.

'Nuff said.

On another note, Shaone Morrison bit Brandon Dubinsky in the arm, which lead to Dubi being tossed from the game.

Gotta love fair play.

I'm still a pessimist, but I want my guys to win, just to stick it to Gary, depriving him of his Pens/Caps centerpiece and giving the purists and old school original 6 matchup that could really bring NYC and Boston back into the hockey fold (Red Sox are playing again, so NYC hatred is on the rise and will bleed over into hockey).

Let's go Rangers!