Islanders forward Trevor Gillies(notes) has been hit hard by the NHL again, getting a 10-game ban Friday for a dangerous shot from behind in his first game back from a nine-game suspension.
Gillies, one of the key combatants in New York’s fight-filled win over Pittsburgh on Feb. 11, played only four shifts Wednesday night before he was ejected for hitting Minnesota Wild forward Cal Clutterbuck(notes) from behind 2:23 into the second period of the Islanders’ 4-1 home win.
In retaliation for Clutterbuck’s hit on Islanders rookie Justin DiBenedetto(notes), that drew a boarding penalty, Gillies drilled Clutterbuck and was given a major penalty for checking from behind and ejected. Clutterbuck stayed in the game and then played Thursday at the New York Rangers.
It is a pet peeve of mine the way the NHL officials and the league office speaks so inaccurately when describing on-ice incidents. Whatever Gillies did he did not hit Clutterbuck from behind, nor did he elbow him. He did blindside a guy who was totally unprepared to be hit. (Clutterbuck's head hit the glass which is what made him woozy, not an elbow. See the video below.)
You also have to ignore the idiots who call the Wild games. Clutterbuck's original hit was not "clean." It was boarding pure and simple, and the Isles player was lucky to escape without injury himself. Clutterbuck is also lucky to have escaped without a fine of some sort. Not being a repeat offender helped.
Repeat offender is exactly what Gillies is, but that is also my issue with this suspension. Clutterbuck's hit put the Isles player in danger and its the job of Gillies to stand up for his teammate just hit face first into the boards and lying in a heap on the ice. Don't get me wrong, Gillies hit was a penalty. If we are gonna stick to the fiction that play wasn't stopped when Clutterbuck got hit (which is the NHL's story) you could certainly call Gillies for a five minutes interference penalty AND give him the gate. However, contributing factors for Clutterbuck getting his bell rung were:
A) Clutterbuck's illegal hit on Justin DiBenedetto, and
B) Clutterbuck's standing around like no one could possibly take umbrage with his hit and being totally unprepared for a hit less than one second after the whistle blew.
To me this should be handled the same way a player skating across the crease with his head down who gets pulverized. If you don't have your head up and on a swivel you deserve to get your bell rung. Sure, keep Gillies on a short leash, but don't penalize him for Clutterbuck's cluelessness.
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