...of the homerism of Brian Hayward:
End of overtime. Michal Handzus has the puck with the clock winding down and shoots it on net with no time remaining. Now, did Handzus shoot the puck after the horn blew? No, he didn't. Did he shoot it when he had no chance to score? Yes, he did. Still, Chris Pronger, because he's protecting his goalie and also being a dickhead, decides to run Handzus into the boards. Then Jack Johnson tries to get in there and separate the two because he knows Handzus isn't a fighter (he's been in 2 fights in his life), but Beauchemin grabs him and prevents him from getting involved. (Lubo and Andy Mac just kind of hold each other while the whole thing is going on. They're like Tony and Maria.) Pronger shoves Handzus in the face, which causes Handzus to return in kind; Pronger then proceeds to drop his glove and rail Handzus in the face 3 times before the ref can separate them.
Hayward's reaction (and I'm paraphrasing here because I'm too angry to process my memory)? "Well, Handzus is asking for trouble there, taking a shot at Pronger."
NOW.
What would his reaction had been if it had been Pahlsson and Blake instead?
End of overtime. Michal Handzus has the puck with the clock winding down and shoots it on net with no time remaining. Now, did Handzus shoot the puck after the horn blew? No, he didn't. Did he shoot it when he had no chance to score? Yes, he did. Still, Chris Pronger, because he's protecting his goalie and also being a dickhead, decides to run Handzus into the boards. Then Jack Johnson tries to get in there and separate the two because he knows Handzus isn't a fighter (he's been in 2 fights in his life), but Beauchemin grabs him and prevents him from getting involved. (Lubo and Andy Mac just kind of hold each other while the whole thing is going on. They're like Tony and Maria.) Pronger shoves Handzus in the face, which causes Handzus to return in kind; Pronger then proceeds to drop his glove and rail Handzus in the face 3 times before the ref can separate them.
Hayward's reaction (and I'm paraphrasing here because I'm too angry to process my memory)? "Well, Handzus is asking for trouble there, taking a shot at Pronger."
NOW.
What would his reaction had been if it had been Pahlsson and Blake instead?