Once a Kings Fan Too
Joined: Jun. 2018
Posts: 39,678
Likes: 24,594
There is a qualitative difference between a retaliatory penalty, no matter how severe, in the heat of the moment (say, in response to a high-sticking or slash, etc.) and a deliberate attempt to injure a defenseless person prone on the ice. What was Bortuzzo's excuse -- he was going to get up and punch me out?
He should have gotten 41 games. I said this before, but the NHL suspended Slava Voynov half a season for spousal abuse -- pushing or striking his wife, who fell and cut her face. Shouldn't the League have treated equally seriously an unprovoked assault with a deadly weapon?
By the way, you can't say I'm a Nashville guy because I still root for a season-ending injury to Filip Forsberg for his dirty head-hit from behind on Josh Manson in the playoffs a few years ago.