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Capitals' Brashear suspended six games - 4-27-09

Capitals forward Donald Brashear was suspended by the NHL for six games following a hit to the head of Rangers forward Blair Betts and a confrontation with Rangers goon Colton Orr prior to Game 6 Sunday.To quote the league's release, "The suspension will extend through the Capitals’ next five 2009 playoff games, the 2009-10 regular season, or both, as circumstances warrant."

The hit on Betts:

EN Says: It's the right move for the league. We're honestly surprised the league went that high in terms of the suspension length. The NHL always seems to lessen punishment when the transgression occurs in the postseason. Afterall, Ducks defenseman Chris Pronger only received one-game suspensions in the 2007 postseason for hits to the heads of Detroit forward Tomas Holmstrom and Senators forward Dean McAmmond. Normally hits like that result in multiple game suspensions in the regular season.

That said, what exactly are the Capitals missing with Brashear in the press box? Brashear had all of 2:30 of ice time in Sunday. We're sure the Capitals will find a way to replace that between Chris Clark or Michael Nylander.

The Rangers meanwhile are without Blair Betts who is one of their top penalty killers. Given how much the Capitals' offense has overwhelmed the Rangers the past two games, Betts' defense will be tough to replace.

Posted Apr 27 2009, 06:16 PM by Seth Rorabaugh

Comments

Coldashell32 wrote re: Capitals' Brashear suspended six games - 4-27-09
on Mon, Apr 27 2009 6:52 PM

Finally the NHL gets something right this post season. I could care less if the hit happens in the post season this is the kind of example that should of been set earlier in the playoffs but, it's a good call the hit was completely Uncalled for.

Luiz Mello wrote re: Capitals' Brashear suspended six games - 4-27-09
on Mon, Apr 27 2009 7:23 PM

Rough deal for the Rangers, but I don't think there's anything else the League could have done. Kudos to the NHL on this one.

Hoping the karma from Brashear's criminal hit comes back to bite Washington tomorrow.

dps2002 wrote re: Capitals' Brashear suspended six games - 4-27-09
on Mon, Apr 27 2009 7:31 PM

The short-term gain here of getting Betts out of Game 7 will outweigh the long-term loss of Brashear's services, no matter how Game 7 falls..  I won't argue the suspension or whether it's long enough, but there's no way the league could have adequately compensated for the loss of Betts.

Washington still wins here.

whit wrote re: Capitals' Brashear suspended six games - 4-27-09
on Mon, Apr 27 2009 8:54 PM

The Capitals won't miss Brashear's 2 or 3 minutes of ice time at all but the Rangers are losing a very valuable player in Betts. I almost feel like teams should get more compensation than this, but there is really no way that can happen.

Luiz Mello wrote re: Capitals' Brashear suspended six games - 4-27-09
on Mon, Apr 27 2009 9:51 PM

FWIW, the game was still 1-1 when Brashear took Betts out of the game. I won't go as far as saying that cheap shot decided the game, but it's hard to believe it didn't influence the outcome.

RCheli wrote re: Capitals' Brashear suspended six games - 4-27-09
on Mon, Apr 27 2009 10:01 PM

What Brashear did is my biggest complaint about hockey: the cheap shot. There is nothing better than a good clean hit (Kunitz taking out Timmonen, Colby Armstrong leveling that Senator [whose name I forget]; Kasparitis sending Lindros into next week) or someone finishing their check. But when players like Brashear or Avery or Andre Roy decide that it's okay to crush a defenseless guy seconds after he's let go of the puck, it goes back to being a good league.

There are so many opportunities to hit a guy legally, when this stuff happens, it makes hockey look like the afterthought it's become to most sports fans.

RCheli wrote re: Capitals' Brashear suspended six games - 4-27-09
on Mon, Apr 27 2009 10:14 PM

Not a "good" league; a "goon" league.

71=MVP wrote re: Capitals' Brashear suspended six games - 4-27-09
on Mon, Apr 27 2009 10:36 PM

agree -- big deal that the Flyers, er the Capitals, will be w/o Brashear.  there should be some additional compensation for the Rangers.

anyone have any news/video on the BITING incident?

is it possible that the Capitals are now out-gooning ALL other teams--even Philadelphia???

Freedoman wrote re: Capitals' Brashear suspended six games - 4-27-09
on Mon, Apr 27 2009 10:53 PM

So then, you can now send out your goon in the playoffs and take the head off a good player and the goon (who doesn't get any real ice time anyway) gets to watch games for awhile.

The Rangers should have gotten a 20 minute power play too. I like NHL hockey but the league is a joke.

jalong2913 wrote re: Capitals' Brashear suspended six games - 4-27-09
on Mon, Apr 27 2009 11:36 PM

I live in the DC area and all the fans who called in to the afternoon sports talk radio show today were calling it a legal hit.  That just goes to show the level of hockey knowledge down here.  Then again, they think that Ovechkin is the best player in the world too...

Luiz Mello wrote re: Capitals' Brashear suspended six games - 4-27-09
on Tue, Apr 28 2009 12:48 PM

You don't need *any* hockey knowledge to realize it was an injury attempt, nothing less. It doesn't even qualify as a dirty late hit.