That picture pretty much sums up the entire third period of Sunday's 4-0 Boston win. As the Carolina Hurricanes were getting dominated in every aspect, Scott Walker decided to take out some of his frustrations on Aaron Ward by punching him in the face.
Perhaps he was tired of watching his team play its worst game of the postseason and decided it would be better to just get himself ejected and punch the first guy he saw. As a result, Walker earned a two-minute instigator, a five-minute major for fighting (fighting? More like punching), and a 10-minute misconduct. The NHL has made plenty of noise this year about not tolerating "message sending" in games that have already been decided, so it's likely that Walker will be receiving a phone call from NHL discipline czar Colin Campbell on Monday.
This was all part of a third period that saw Carolina rack up 36 minutes in penalties, including Tim Conboy's seven minutes for his two separate altercations with Scott Thornton and Mark Stuart.
Following the game, Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas was being interviewed on VERSUS and said, "that was one of the worst sucker punches I've ever seen." He then went on to say that he hasn't seen anything like that since he was playing in the American Hockey League.
Initially, the Bruins defenseman appeared to be involved with Carolina's Matt Cullen, before Walker jumped into the middle and dropped his gloves, and then proceeded to drop Ward. Ward received a two-minute minor for roughing on the play.
Given the NHL's stance on "message sending," it wouldn't be a surprise to see Walker sitting out game 6 in Carolina on Tuesday night. Then again, given the way the NHL has handled similar situations this postseason it's impossible to know for sure what's going to happen when the league spins the wheel of discipline. Some plays are deemed suspension worthy, while others -- even if they're identical to plays that result in suspensions -- are not.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-10-2009 @ 11:55PM
Jason K said...
I don't know if that was a suckerpunch, Ward just sat there with his hands at his sides, not even trying. I don't think this is necessarily message sending, that's not Walker's style. I think it was more frustration than anything. Ward crosschecked Cullen in the shoulder/neck, and he has been playing very physically all series long, what did he think was going to happen? Frustration of playing poorly for the 'Canes and then the dirty play by Ward is what made this happen, not Walker trying to "send a message."
That doesn't mean I don't think he'll be suspended. I don't think he should be, but it's probable.
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5-11-2009 @ 12:13AM
Dr Huxtable said...
that was in no way a sucker punch. When a guy has his hand on the next of your jersey, and pulls back to line up a punch, put your damn hands up. Is Ward retarded? What was he expecting there?
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5-11-2009 @ 1:08AM
acencsu said...
Not a sucker punch at all. Tim "most unworthy Vezina trophy candidate ever" Thomas can cry me a river. Maurice got it right when he said the only consequence for Walker should be sore knuckles.
5-11-2009 @ 2:06AM
James said...
Cowards throw sucker punches. Scott Walker is a coward who can't play hockey worth a spit. Hope he gets thown out of the league for good. He'd be doing his team a favor.
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5-11-2009 @ 2:09AM
d ro said said...
Are you guys blind? First off anything shown was in slow mo, so you have to account for real time. Second off, the angle doesn’t even show walker coming into the play to confront ward, he just appears out of no where and sucker punches him. Ward if anything was bout to drop gloves with Cullen til he came between them and that goon decided to throw a sucker punch at him. He had nothing to do with ward and should of stayed away. If they don’t suspend him, there will be a target on his back for game 6 and if there is a game 7 also.
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5-11-2009 @ 2:44AM
acencsu said...
Well since you know the rules of hockey so well, you'll recall that he has to be suspended since he got an instigator in the last 5 minutes. Slow mo, real time, whatever, Ward saw him coming from a mile away and if he doesn't feel the need to defend himself that's his problem. I almost want to say that he may not have defended himself in order to draw the instigator on Walker so the Bruins would have one less Hurricane to play against on Tuesday. Everyone seems to be forgetting that Ward got a roughing penalty on the play for his cheap shot on Cullen with his team up 4-0, which is what prompted Walker to come over and defend his teammate.
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5-11-2009 @ 7:37AM
me said...
All the hurricanes proved to me last night is that they are sore losers. What about the cheap shot on Chara near the end of the second period ? I hope The Bruins come back and win games 6 and 7 by a huge margin and show these thugs that it takes more to win a hockey game than dirty players. No wonder they beat the Devils, they probably injured their best players !!
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5-11-2009 @ 8:10AM
Jason K said...
Don't make assessments on how they beat the Devils when you obviously didn't watch the game (not like you could have since they weren't shown nationally) They beat the Devils by out-skating them and out-working them on the forecheck, the same way they beat the Bruins in games 2, 3 and 4.
There's bound to be some frustration built up over the course of a series. The B's are hardly a group of saints, Zdeno The Giant has thrown his share of cheap shots this series and Ward is hardly innocent either.
Aaron Ward did help the 'Canes win the cup in 06 though. Word is he may have a broken orbital bone, I hope that isn't the case.
5-11-2009 @ 7:40AM
duckinnut said...
Thats a cheap shot,sucker punch! Walker didn't allow Ward even a chance to drop his gloves not that his was going to anyway. If you are a true hockey player you give your opponent a chance to engage. Ward would have mopped the ice with this punk but didn't want to waste his time.The should give him some pine time if it doesn't Walker better look over his shoulder in game six all night for #17 for the Bruins.
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5-11-2009 @ 11:54AM
Rick said...
The Bruins have been outplayed this series. They've disgraced the #1 seed
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5-11-2009 @ 12:03PM
msheehan3 said...
Brashear got 5 games for a good clean hit to the head. Walker should get 10 games for a good right hand to the face of Ward.
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5-11-2009 @ 12:50PM
Odie said...
"a good clean hit to the head" - msheehan3
Does anyone else fail to see the logic behind that quote? We are talking about hockey right, not boxing?
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5-11-2009 @ 6:18PM
csls316 said...
what would these guys do if probert and kocher were still playing,them 2 could and would kick the crap out of most of these wuss's
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5-11-2009 @ 6:50PM
thetrutheh said...
im not even a bruin fan but hopefully someone on the bruins is man enough to give back to carolina. those idiots in toronto should have suspended walker, if for nothing else but to protect walker. what a disgrace.
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5-12-2009 @ 12:09PM
joeinbost said...
Damn the NBA had enough cojones to fire Timmy D for fixing a game NHL shoudl do that to the Penalty Czar Pure case of throw a game adn series for a little folding money
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