Dallas Stars Forward Cody Eakin Suspended 4 Games
Dallas Stars Forward Cody Eakin Suspended 4 Games for Hit on New York Rangers Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist Thursday Night
Dallas Stars forward Cody Eakin has been suspended four games for his hit on New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist on Thursday night. Eakin was ejected and assessed a five-minute major for the incident.
King Henrik was forced to leave the game temporarily for concussion protocol and lost an opportunity to record a shutout as a result. The New York Rangers went on to defeat the Dallas Stars 2-0, but it officially goes in the books as a team shutout.
Response by Vigneault
Coach Alain Vigneault was very animated following the win on Thursday night. And rightfully so. He brought up a very interesting point and something I’ve long worried about since the announcement of these increased “concussion spotters”.
What if this was game seven versus the Penguins late in the third period during a tied game? Aren’t we encouraging head hunting? I mean, if I’m a 3rd/4th line grinder who plays limited minutes, it’s a big victory to take Sidney Crosby or Henrik Lundqvist out of a game for even just a few minutes.
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Message Not Sent
What type of message does a four-game suspension send? The NHL had a golden opportunity to make an example out of Cody Eakin and instead gave him a slap on the wrist.
I’m not even sure how they came up with the number to be honest. If you compare the incident to Andrew Shaw/Mike Smith in the playoffs a few years back, the two are eerily reminiscent. Shaw was handed three games as a result, and as we know those numbers typically double in the regular season. Logic would dictate that Dallas Stars F Cody Eakin deserved a minimum six games for the hit, and in all honesty, it should probably be somewhere closer to 10.
Eakin hit on Lundqvist:
Shaw hit on Smith:
Rangers Response
More from Puck Prose
You do have to wonder if the Rangers response to the hit has anything to do with the decision. I know it sounds far-fetched, but let me explain. There’s an unwritten rule about protecting your goalie. If someone is jamming away for the puck after the whistle or makes any type of contact, there are typically repercussions. But if someone runs my netminder the way Eakin did, the gloves are coming off. And in most cases, you’re looking at a straight up line brawl.
So, let’s say that Lundqvist was hurt and forced out of the game Thursday night. Instead of doing nothing, the Rangers respond and several players are looking at game misconducts, 10-minute misconducts, and a handful of 5-minute majors. Are we still talking about a four-game suspension today? Probably not.
Consistency Needed
Point being, we need to stop making decisions based on the result of a play. There needs to be consistency across the board with these hits. If it’s Ryan Miller on the receiving end, he might be on the long-term IR today. Yet, if it’s Ben Bishop, maybe we’re looking a slight bump that barely takes him out of position. Either way, we’re looking at the exact same hit.
The rules are very clear. Contact on goaltenders is strictly prohibited. So, why isn’t this more black-and-white? Why does the NHL use a case-by-case determination? It should very simple. If a player refuses to make an effort to avoid the collision, they’re handed an automatic number of games (5-10 maybe for a first-time offender?). Second and third-time offenders will see those numbers double or triple.
It shouldn’t take an injury to an elite goaltender or a controversial situation such as the game seven hypothetical to force change. This is a classic example of the NHL being a reactive league opposed to a proactive league. We’re not even talking about drastic changes here like removing fighting or hitting from the game; we just need a little more consistency across the board to protect our netminders. Is that really too much to ask?
