Should Detroit Red Wings left wing Justin Abdelkader be suspended by the NHL for his actions during the final moments of Game 2 of the NHL Playoffs?
There is no denying there is no love lost between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Detroit Red Wings. Over the course of the last couple of seasons, these two teams have built a pretty solid rivalry and things are almost always on edge when they come together in the center of the ice. When you add in the intensity of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, things undoubtedly get taken to a whole new level.
This intensity was put on display for all to see on Friday night as the Tampa Bay Lightning took on the Detroit Red Wings at Amalie Arena here in the Sunshine State for Game 2 of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Tampa Bay Lightning were defeating the Red Wings by the score of 5-2. While there was no chance the Red Wings were going to be able to mount a comeback, they still had their pride on the line, so they continued to fight.
As play entered the final minute, Detroit Red Wings center Brad Richards and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Andrej Sustr battled in front of the Lightning net for positioning. At one point, Richards took a slash at Sustr. Before anyone had any idea what was going on, all hell had broken loose on the ice. What started out as a simple penalty evolved into an all-out line brawl.
Now, this wasn’t the first time the gloves had been dropped between the Lightning and Red Wings that night, but it would most certainly be the last. As Ben Bishop stood his ground between the pipes, it wasn’t long until there was a dogpile on the ice in front of him. Two of the players embroiled in this fight to the death were Lightning right wing Mike Blunden and Red Wings left wing Justin Abdelkader.
Before we go any further, allow us to be clear on something. We have absolutely no problem with two players dropping the gloves and knocking the holy bejesus out of one another. While they may not happen in each and every game, they are a part of the game that has carried on for decades; however, there are lines that you simply do not cross. One of those lines was crossed at the Amalie Arena on Friday night.
As Mike Blunden found himself pinned down against the ice with virtually no way to defend himself, Justin Abdelkader decided this was the moment in time to unleash a seemingly never-ending barrage of punches on Blunden. Of course, once Blunden actually made his way to his feet and offered to stand toe-to-toe with Abdelkader like men, Abdelkader wanted no part of it and the two were separated by the officials.
It is one thing to scrap with an opponent and throw some violent punches. Sometimes emotions get the better of you and the only way to solve the problem is to drop the gloves and leave it all out on the ice; however, when your opponent is already on the ground and essentially defenseless, it is a rather cowardly move to take advantage of the situation. This is exactly what Abdelkader chose to do.
At the end of the night, Blunden required nine stitches to repair the damage done to his face. Thankfully, his injuries were nothing a player of his stature couldn’t handle, so as you can guess, he won’t be missing any time. At the same time, this does not take away from the disrespect for the game shown by Abdelkader.
The question on the top of everyone’s mind this afternoon is “Should Justin Abdelkader be suspended for his actions during the line brawl in the final minute of Game 2 on Friday night?” If you ask us, the answer is without a doubt. It is never ok to take advantage of a player while they are down and to do so places the other player in an immense amount of danger that could ultimately result in serious injury.
Unfortunately, given the fact the NHL Department of Player Safety has been virtually invisible since the start of the postseason, it is pretty safe to assume there will be no supplemental discipline coming the way of Justin Abdelkader. Does this advocate Abdelkader’s actions? Who know? The only person who can make that comment would be Player Safety, who has obviously elected to abstain.
Next: Lightning, Red Wings Erupt In Line Brawl (Video)
So…you know how we feel about the situation. It’s pretty clear how Player Safety feels about the situation. The question now is, what are your thoughts on the situation? Do you think Abdelkader should receive some sort of supplemental discipline for his actions, or are you one of the fans who feel it was nothing more than “old time hockey” running wild? Let us know what you think in the comments below.