Sideshow Gary Roberts

Inexcusable. That's all it was. Flat out inexcusaable.

Gary Roberts, an elderstatesmen of the NHL and a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins, took a pot-shot at Johan Franzen of the Detroit Red Wings in the later stages of game 2 in the Stanley Cup finals. Everyone in the NHL knows that Franzen has been suffering from concussion symptoms since game 1 agains Dallas in the Western Conference finals. The shot, sure it was weak and just an idiotic move by a desperate veteran seeing his team fall into a 0-2 hole in the highest level of play the NHL has to offer, was simply inexcusable.

Intent to injur is a phrase that is found numerous times in the NHL rulebook. It, when determined by the referee, can result in the ejection of a player from the game. I don't understand why these rules were not inforced in this particular instance.

A couple of years ago we saw Todd Bertuzzi, a powerhouse forward and a great player, punch a player in the back of the head, again not very hard but damage was done, he was ejected from that game and suspended for quite a while by the NHL and Gary Bettman. However, I have a sinking feeling in my stomach that no such action will be taken against the graying Gary Roberts.

In the Eastern Conference finals we saw Evegeni Malkin throw a blatant elbow to the head of Danny Briere and nothing came of it.

We've seen Pittsburgh begin to take runs and try to step up their pathetically (lack of) physical play late in games they can't win. The only time the Pens decided to play with guile and brovato was when the Flyers were blatantly beating them in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. There is a precident, we saw it in game 1 as well. I can only imagine that it will get dirtier as they get beaten more and more.

I don't understand how in the highest level of competition and the national stage, players the likes of Malkin, who is learning the ropes and playing with youthful passion and exuberance, and Roberts, who knows better than to let his emotions run his actions like that, can be forgiven for their actions. What has to happen for the NHL to stop looking the other way? I hope that it isn't the loss of a great player.

Maybe I'll be dead wrong, and beilieve me I'd like nothing better than that, and the NHL will suspend Roberts for the remainder of the Playoffs and a few games to begin next season. One can only hope.