Zack Kassian pulled an absolutely idiotic move against the Tampa Bay Lightning. After getting tangled up with Erik Cernak, as Kassian was trying to get back up he kicked Cernak in the chest. In case people forgot, Kassian has a blade attached to his foot.
It doesn't matter if it was reactionary or not, it was a dangerous play and yesterday it was announced that Kassian would receive a 7 game suspension for his actions. Good on the NHL for giving a steeper penalty to send a message around the league that certain actions are not tolerated.....
Or that is what I would say if Parros and the Department of Player Safety were able to dish out suspensions with any consistency. Chara cross-checks a player in the face and gets a $5,000 fine. Arvidsson misses 4-6 weeks because Bortuzzo straight up assaults him and only gets 4 games.
I am not condoning Kassian's actions whatsoever. He deserves the full suspension and is honestly lucky it wasn't longer. I just wish that the league would take their job to ensure player safety more seriously and crack down harder on all dangerous plays.
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There is a game to be played today and Edmonton is now missing the entirety of their top line from earlier in the season. McDavid and James Neal are both out of the lineup with injuries and now Kassian is as well with his suspension. Edmonton's forward core is massively depleted and fans will be holding their collective breath for the next two weeks, hoping the team can survive.
The Panthers have run into a bit of misfortune themselves as of late. After running a 6 game winning streak in January, Florida is now 2-6 in the month of February. During this stretch they have been outscored 31-17 during this period. The two teams they have won against this month are Toronto and the Devils, two of the weakest defensive teams in the league right now.
Despite a few critical mistakes, Edmonton did play a solid game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, if they are able to clean up those mistakes and play a similar game against the Panthers they can walk away with a win and one game closer to McDavid's return.
1.) Defensemen Up Front, hahaha....Wait What? - With some injuries in the lineup, it looked like a move of desperation for Panthers coach Joel Quenneville to place two defensemen on the fourth line. We should know better than to question Q because the line with defensemen Mike Matheson and Mark Pysyk centred by Noel Acciari combined for 8 points against the Devils. I have a feeling this line will try to get out against the Khaira and Cave line as much as they can and Edmonton's fourth line needs to be sharp.
2.) Help From The D - While Edmonton might not be icing any defensemen in their forward lines (although they might want to consider it soon), the Oilers defenders can still be difference makers. Caleb Jones scored the lone goal against the Lightning on Thursday. Tippett needs to get his backend more engaged in the play and score some goals from their efforts.
3.) Benson On The Road - Tyler Benson will play tonight with Kassian suspended. Benson wasn't able to make much happen in his first two games which shouldn't be a negative on the young player. The excitement of playing your first games in the NHL, especially with family and friends watching from the stands; it is overwhelming. Today Benson likely won't have family in attendance so hopefully the 21 year old winger can focus simply on playing his game and maybe contribute on the scoresheet.
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FILM OF THE DAY
7 games is what Zack Kassian got for his suspension. Ironically enough, 7 could be how many more games both James Neal and Connor McDavid could miss. Wouldn't it be something if February 29th at home against the Winnipeg Jets was when all three players return to the lineup? 7 could be the lucky number, so enjoy this scene from Lucky Number Slevin.
Edmonton Oilers Blogger • 
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