Sunday, November 22, 2009

Georges Laraque

You're dead to me, Georges. Bob Gainey brought you in to add some intimidation to our roster. What you did was chat nicely and invite Milan Lucic to fight, graciously allowing him to beg off and pound your teammates instead. You mouthed off, you didn't fight, you didn't intimidate. Then last night, you nearly cost your team a game. I was honestly surprised to see you play another shift (aside: WTF, Jacques Martin?!?).

Let me clear up any misconceptions some of you out there have. When you are going for a hit, sometimes you will instinctively stick out a leg or something when your opponent dodges your check. That's normal, but you have to control that instinct. Sometimes it happens so instantaneiously there is no time to react, and the leg goes out. Otehr times, the guy has dodged you early and you stikc that leg out in a conscious effort to get some body contact, even though you know it's wrong. Just as goalies have to consciously not duck their heads when a 98-mph slap shot head their way, players have to think. And Laraque had plenty of time to decide NOT to stick that leg out. He knew better, yet he did it anyways. And he betetr as hell have played his last game in a Montreal uniform. What SHOULD have happened was for Georges to get four for the high stick, and five and game for the knee.

The referees made up for their lax call by giving penalties to Mara, Moen, and O'Byrne. So that evens out, but doesn't excuse teh refs for A) bad penalty calling, and B) even-up calls, which are BULLSHIT.

In any case, you're dead to me Georges. I just wanted to let you know why.

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