NHL makes right decision by not suspending Matt Niskanen
Matt Niskanen won’t be facing supplemental discipline for his hit to Sidney Crosby.
Despite the Washington Capitals 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, the game won’t be remembered for the goals scored. Nor will it be remembered for the epic finish to regulation. Kevin Shattenkirk’s overtime game winner is an afterthought. Why? Because Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen cross-checked Penguins star Sidney Crosby in the head. Luckily for the Caps, he won’t get a disciplinary hearing, which means he won’t be suspended.
Regardless of how you feel about the hit to Sid The Kid’s head, hits like this need to be illegal. The NHL claims to want them out of hockey, yet those hits still happen. A one game suspension would have been within reason had it not been for Niskanen’s ejection.
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However, because of the ejection, the defenseman basically got that one game suspension. So no supplementary discipline is the right move by the Department of Player Safety. Hits to the head should warrant an automatic suspension, but they don’t. Niskanen clearly doesn’t target his head, but rather intends to cross-check a guy who has a high quality scoring chance. Not unreasonable.
Crosby has a long history of concussions, so seeing him get hit in the head, even if by accident, is tough to watch. Hopefully he’s OK because even if he’s the Caps’ greatest rival, he’s the Joker to Alex Ovechkin’s Batman. Hockey is undeniably better when its stars are healthy and Crosby still wears the crown as its the NHL’s biggest star.
I’d rather see the league protect its biggest draws and be a bit overcautious (as long as it’s consistent) than see them refuse to penalize this stuff. The NHL certainly doesn’t have a history of suspending those who do illegal and dangerous things to Crosby. Brandon Dubinsky is the lone player who has faced supplemental discipline for something done to Sid The Kid, and he had to whack him in the back of the head to get that. Niskanen’s ejection likely came because the refs saw Crosby lying on the ice.
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Game 4 should be a pivotal one in the series. Whoever wins on Wednesday holds all the momentum moving forward. The status of Crosby might be in question, but Niskanen will be playing.