I guessed it right. Well, two out of three. Carkner got a game, Hagelin got three.
There were no additional penalties to Dubinsky. I still think the call on the ice was wrong in that Carkner committed a match penalty thusly nullifying the third man in game misconduct to Dubinsky. But, since the on-ice call stood, then I think the game misconduct remaining on the record is fine in substitution punishment for his actions leaving the ice.
Carkner was penalized for being the aggressor. In reading the rule for aggressor (as mentioned in the video), why isn't someone who is guilty of being an aggressor also guilty of committing a match penalty?
I understand that they carry essentially the same punishment (suspension from the game), but this incident shows exactly why a match should be included. For the sake of someone like Dubinsky who now has a game misconduct on his record in the playoffs when he, in my opinion, did the right thing. Getting into a fight is just sometimes necessary.
Table 8 of the Rulebook doesn't prevent it.
Again I ask, if a player is guilty of breaking a penalty with the same language of a penalty type, why isn't he guilty of breaking both?
Table 8 addresses all match penalties and mentions Rule 46 (Fighting) twice. If you wear tape on your hands during an altercation, that's an automatic match penalty. If you punch and injure an unsuspecting opponent, that's a match penalty automatically upon injury.
Now, Doyle was not injured by the punches. However, a match penalty can still be assessed for attempt to injure. As I mentioned before, hitting an unwilling player seems like a deliberate attempt to injure in my book.
I don't get it. I think the NHL messed up on this one in its interpretation of the rules. But what do I know?
I do agree with the Hagelin suspension.
It helps solidify in my mind that Shanahan will issue the same amount of punishment (in terms of numbers and severity) during the postseason as he did during the regular season. And that is good for the League. It means there's not a new set of standards regarding safety issues just because it's the playoffs.
