THE MULTI TALENTED HABS

Now we’re on a roll. Now we seem unstop able. Now we’ve proven we can aply and win tough games. Another great game…another two points off the MN…another proud day to be a HAB.

Now to deal with the 500 lbs elephant in the room. Sauer’s hit on Kostitsyn was a close hit. Let me come out and say it: “I don’t think it was intentional”. Sauer definitely wanted to “ring Kostitsyn’s bell” as they say, but he is NOT the type of guy to go head hunting. The hit was high however and did deserve a 2 minute beyond a shadow of a doubt…but no major or suspension…at least IMO. What was more cowardly and disgusting than the hit was Sauers response after the hit. If one wants to play tough..fine. It’s the NHL for frigs sake and that’s the way it should be played. However, if you’re going to go hit someone like that, have the jewels to stand up for your actions. Sauer kept skating away from Laraque and hiding behind reffs (yes…literally hiding). Then one shift later he drags Kostopolous, someone who he has 40-60 pounds over, in to a fight as a whipping boy. I had no problem with Sauer for the hit, but after that move, he is now enemy number one on the Phoenix team who has not learnt (or learnt too much) of game behaviour and honour from the great one behind the bench. This shameful display of cowardness deserves a curse, and I hope you all join hands and repeat the following with me 12 times:

“May his crotch be infected with the fleas of a thousand camels, and may his arms be too short to scratch it”

Now with that out of the way, that whole incident is behind us and is neither here nor there. It’s done, it’s in the past, let look at the future. There are two very important points that resulted from hit that affects our next games:

1) As was the case several times last year, when a team fell behind, or lost the momentum, they tried to gain it back via physical play and intimidation. We valiantly tried to hold our own last year by pushing back (albeit a smaller push than what we usually received) and by scoring on the power play. Unfortunately there were games (especially in the playoffs), such as last night, where the whistles pull a Houdini act and disappear, except for holding and hooking calls. When it counts, such as an OT period or a playoff game, the refs always revert back to the old adage of “Let em’ play”. Last year when they “let us play” we lost the exchange more often than not and the playoff series against the Flyers was the final proof that convinced even the most animated supporters of NOT needing Enforcers.

Last night, Phoenix pushed (hard) and we pushed back harder. We won the exchange, and the momentum, the scoreboard, and Phoenix’s reluctance to play rough in the third was proof positive beyond an elephant’s shadow of a doubt. This team just proved we are ready for the cup. We are ready to play in the trenches because Laraque will break your face! OK too much…

2) The most important thing from last night’s incident of course is the health and well being of Andrei Kostitsyn. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him back to his USUAL self soon. I have seen too many careers ruined at stifled at a young age as a result of concussions fro hits just like this, and I sure hope for his and his family’s sake this is not nearly as serious as those. Let us all pray to the Holy Sponge Bob for Kostitsyn’s speedy and FULL recovery.