As I predicted, Zac Rinaldo gets six games. The reason Zac Rinaldo got six games is because the NHL Player Safety Dept is an absolute joke.
George Parros is in charge now, and like all his predecessors, he is terrible at his job. Of course it's a terrible look to have an ex-enforcer in this role, but the NHL doesn't care. The NHL should not even have an ex-player in this role, which has been clear for years.
Players understand how things happen and if the job was about being empathetic towards people acting like idiots, an ex-player would be the perfect hire. However, the role of the PSD should be to keep players safe. It would be better if the PSD over-reacted instead of under-reacted.
In this case, you have a player who now been suspended for more games than he has career goals. A repeat offender with a terrible reputation, who punched a non-fighter in the face with a sucker punch. Who could blame Girard if he pressed charges? If you got sucker punched at work you would.
If you sucker punched anyone at your job you'd be fired. Why the hell should you be allowed to do it in a hockey game? Six games is extremely light. A full season would probably have sent the message that the NHL does not tolerate this kind of thing. Six games says 'We have to suspend you because you're the new Matt Cooke, but if you were anyone else, you'd get two games because we're a sport that romanticizes punches to the face and honestly, if it wasn't for the snowflakes we wouldn't even suspend you at all. Now don't do it again (wink)."
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With the suspension of Rinaldo - and hopefully his permanent cutting from the team - the Coyotes have recalled Lawson Crouse before last night's game.
He has three goals in 17 AHL games, and hasn't been very good in the NHL, but I guess it's better than calling up Merkley or Strome and actually giving them minutes. Crouse did score and does remain a decent enough prospect. I have no problem with him in the NHL. Plus, he scored a goal!
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Coyotes beat the Avs last night, 3-1.
I could have watched this game, but instead my wife and I watched the original Jaws which I have never seen before. It was awesome. I very much enjoyed it.
For Christmas I got her a scratch-off poster of 100 Essential Films and we've been enjoying and re-enjoying some classics over the holidays. I don't know why I'd never seen Jaws, but it's awesome.
I think, however, I could write an entire novel about how stupid people act during this movie. Did the writer of the movie know any actual humans? What was wrong with the Chief's wife? How could anyone be that dumb? Why didn't anyone care that a kid was eaten by a shark? They just went home and acted normal.
Anyways, still a cool movie.
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The Coyotes will take on the Leafs tonight, Auston Matthews will be back in his hometown and we're in for a ton of cliched interviews and intermission reports. I will be busting out a nice vintage wine my dad got me for Christmas and hoping that it warms up slightly, as it has been insanely cold.
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