• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Boston Bruins

Pastrnak Punished by Player Safety

By Anthony Pagliarulo October 31st, 2016

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

We have all been in school and known someone who sits quietly in class and never does anything wrong. Then, one day, that quiet student decides to try something funny and surprisingly gets in a lot of trouble. On Wednesday night, David Pastrnak became that quiet student who randomly gets disciplined.

It is extremely rare for Pastrnak to attempt to deliver a big hit or any hit for that matter, but he tried it against Rangers’ defenseman Dan Girardi. As a result of the contact, Pastrnak has been suspended for two games by the NHL Department of Player Safety.

David Pastrnak has been suspended two games for an illegal check to the head on NY Rangers’ Dan Girardi, as announced by @NHLPlayerSafety.

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 28, 2016

Praise for Player Safety

One thing the NHL should be praised for is their detailed video explanations of suspensions. These videos let us know their thought process and exact reasoning for suspending a player. It would be easy for the NHL to leave fans and teams in the dark, but they make sure to explain themselves well.

Whether you agree with them or not is a different story. In this particular case, many Bruins supporters appear to be upset with the decision to suspend Pastrnak. Joe Haggerty of Comcast-New England reported that the Bruins are not particularly happy either.

The Explanation

In this video, Player Safety explains that Pastrnak was suspended due to an illegal check to the head. The voice-over for the video notes that the head of Girardi was the primary point of contact and that Pastrnak should have remained low when delivering the check. The department also felt the contact to the head was avoidable because Pastrnak, “unnecessarily extends up and into the head of Girardi.”

Dan Girardi

(Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Veteran Miscue

Girardi first appeared in the NHL during the 2006-07 season for the New York Rangers. He is now in his 11th NHL season and has played in 730 games. As a veteran defenseman, it is surprising that he attempted to catch a floating puck in the neutral zone with an attack coming.

With his experience, he had to know that he was setting himself up for major body contact. I am not blaming Girardi for the hit Pastrnak delivered, but he did put himself in a rather vulnerable position. It is not a play you expect to see from a veteran player like him.

David Pastrnak

(Wikimedia Commons/Lisa Gansky)

Dirty or Not?

The reason many people are upset in Boston is because they do not view the hit as being dirty. Initially, the hit appeared to be hard, yet clean. However, when the play is slowed down it seems Pastrnak did get a piece of Girardi’s chin on the follow through.

The contact to Girardi’s chin led to the hit being labeled as an illegal check to the head. Pastrnak could have lowered his shoulder more, but the play is certainly not dirty. There is no place in the NHL for deliberate head shots, but this is not one of those situations.


Related – War on Ice: The Chilling Truth of Enforcers, CTE and Fighting in the NHL


Message Sent from the NHL

This particular suspension has the look of being a warning to Pastrnak and the rest of the league. The message appears to be that if you want to make a hard check, you must keep your shoulder low and the contact to the chest of an opposing player.

It is no secret that the NHL has been cracking down on checks that involve contact to the head. By suspending Pastrnak, the league is hoping that players are more careful when delivering heavy blows.

While the suspension has been a surprise to some, it is understandable that the NHL is trying to stop these hits. Unfortunately, Pastrnak is being used as an early season example to get this message across.

  • Tags
  • Dan Girardi
  • David Pastrňák
  • Top Story
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 26th 6:20 PM
Calgary Flames

Tkachuk Shows His Ignorance Discussing Maple Leafs’ Campbell Injury

Jan 26th 6:10 PM
Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights Reaping the Rewards of Zach Whitecloud’s Development

Jan 26th 6:00 PM
Buffalo Sabres

Sabres Outlook After First 6 Games of 2020-21

Jan 26th 5:50 PM
Winnipeg Jets

Jets’ 2021 Offseason Free Agent Preview

Jan 26th 5:05 PM
Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks Unlikely to Call Up Former Fan Favourite Darling

Jan 26th 4:40 PM
Archives

The NHL’s Best Farm Systems Ranked – 2020-21 Season Update

Jan 26th 4:32 PM
Archives

Jimmy Howard’s Red Wings Legacy

Jan 26th 4:25 PM
Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins Not Playing to Full Potential in Comeback Wins

Jan 26th 4:15 PM
Colorado Avalanche

Mediocre Avalanche Road Trip Plagued by Inconsistency

Jan 26th 4:05 PM
Buffalo Sabres

Sabres Coach Ralph Krueger is a Jack of All Trades

Editor’s Picks
Wayne Gretzky - The Great One's 10 Most Unbreakable Records

Wayne Gretzky - The Great One's 10 Most Unbreakable Records

Test Your Wayne Gretzky Knowledge With Our Quiz

Test Your Wayne Gretzky Knowledge With Our Quiz

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information