Hartnell “bites” Letang: the Flyers are goons!

Scott Hartnell is one of the most hated skaters in the NHL according to players and fans. (Neat1325)

Some things never change. Penguins fans will always claim that the Flyers are a bunch of goons, and Flyers fans will always claim that the Penguins are a bunch of cheaters. There’s always little bit of truth as well as a bit of exaggeration from both sides no matter what the argument, but things took an even more interesting turn last Thursday during Philadelphia’s home loss to their in-state rival.

During a scrum late in the game it was reported that Scott Hartnell, one of the most hated players in the NHL, bit down pretty hard on defenseman Kris Letang’s finger.

The problem with this is that there is no video evidence to support the claim that there was ever a bite. The league explained this when they decided not to seek any kind of punishment for the Flyers’ power-forward.

Despite there being no evidence, almost no one believes that the bite never occurred. While Penguins fans claim that the attack was brutal and malicious, the majority of fans in the NHL realize that the bite, if it even occurred, was done in self-defense.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrQH794HAnY

Don Cherry recently commented on the incident during a Hockey Night in Canada broadcast in which he asked the most important question of all; “What’s he supposed to do, kiss it?”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ediPXKX3jVY

It’s very hard to believe that during a scrum Hartnell openly sought out Letang’s finger especially after he was the one pulling Letang away from Richards only to end up face-washed.

The things that get over exaggerated by NHL fans these days are reaching all time highs, and a rivalry, like the one between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, is one of the best sources for new material.

The truth of the matter is that the Penguins are just as dirty as the Flyers. In fact every team in the NHL has its little scrapes and dives and elbows and hits to the…um…unmentionables. Well, maybe that’s only in Pittsburgh, but the point is obvious. There is plenty to complain about in both colors every time two teams step onto the ice. None of this is ever going to go away, and the notion that Hartnell maliciously bit Letang’s finger is as short-sighted as claiming that the Flyers are the same team as the orange and black of the 1970′s.

Right now the Penguins lead the Eastern Conference with eight points (4-1-0) and are tied with the Calgary Flames for the lead in the NHL. The Flyers are the only team in the league with seven points (3-1-1). As both giants both compete for the Division title, Eastern title, and the Stanley Cup there’s only going to be more and more senseless accusations from both sides. Nothing will be resolved until one team becomes a non-factor in a couple of years (history designates that this will be the Penguins) or people come to their senses.