Weeks go by and those plucky Philadelphia Flyers keep whacking people in the face. This time, Plattsburgh’s favorite son Jesse Boulerice has wandered onto Colin Campbell’s shit list for cross checking Vancouver’s Ryan Kesler. Boulerice, who faced charges of assault during his OHL days, will sit for 25 games and be eligible to return in mid-December. I love the fine, honestly, and I love that this is the second substantial penalty handed down so far this season. Boulerice’s hit was a cheap shot and it was stupid. Throw in his personal history and the situation was something of a slam dunk. More encouraging still are signs of early consistency from the league’s disciplinary branch.
As the NHL clings to whatever mainstream relevance it still has, incidents like this one pose dangers beyond the injuries they often inflict. Empty seats and a pervasive lack of personality do enough damage without the contribution of pointless thugs. Hopefully the punishments stay severe, but I’ll believe it when I see meaningful games taken from meaningful players.
Best Line in Hockey
LW - Niklas Hagman - Finally finding the goals to go with his work ethic. Poster boy for the All-Underrated Team, the Finn’s blistering start is a nice story.
C - Paul Stasny - Half the shots he takes go in, and the kid with the Hall of Fame pedigree looks set to build on an amazing rookie season.
RW - Dany Heatley - Can’t be stopped at the moment. A new contract is well deserved for the centerpiece of the league’s highest scoring offense.
D - Francois Beauchemin - 30 minutes a night for the 3rd year defender. Sure, the presence of Chris Pronger helps, but it’s Beauchemin who will determine how sorely the Ducks need Niedermayer back.
D - Brian Campbell - Don’t put Buffalo on the power play. His team’s early struggles aside, Campbell is currently on pace for a 142 point season, which is nice.
G - Martin Gerber - Sure he’ll lose his job to Ray Emery in a few weeks, but for now, the league leader in saves and save percentage is a big part of Ottawa’s early season success.
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