Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville argues with referee Paul Devorski in the second period during their NHL game against the Anaheim Ducks in Anaheim, California March 17, 2010. REUTERS/Mike BlakeMIKE BLAKE/Reuters
"You hit a guy without the puck, you can kill a guy. It's the most dangerous hit in the history of the game. And he tried to hurt him. If that's not intent, that's as bad a hit that you can ever have in the game," Chicago Blackhawks' coach Joel Quenneville fumes about a hit by the Anaheim Ducks' James Wisniewski that knocked defenceman Brent Seabrook out of Wednesday's game, a 4-2 Chicago loss.
"It was dirty, but the rules unfortunately protect stuff like that," Blackhawks' defenceman Nick Boynton, playing his first game of the year for Chicago, agrees with his coach's assessment. Boynton ironically is playing now because another controversial hit earlier in the week sidelined Blackhawks defenceman Brian Campbell indefinitely.
"When you talk about the Predators, you don't talk about a superstar. You talk about a group. That's how we get it done, just good balance," Coach Barry Trotz, whose surprising Predators are seventh in the Western Conference and could prevent the Calgary Flames from making the NHL playoffs.