I've tried to bite my tongue, really I have. I have tried to give the Boston Bruins and their fans the benefit of the doubt in these 2013-2014 playoffs, but 5 games in, I can no longer hold in the thoughts that have been swirling around, lest they leave a bitter taste in my mouth.
Those of you who know me know of my distaste for anything Boston. But nothing makes my blood boil more than the actions of the Boston Bruins, both in the regular and post season. And what makes it even worse is that the majority of Bruins fans condone such behaviour, stating that the team is just gritty, and that it's okay to do what they did because it gets in the heads of their opponents.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't mind a good on-ice tussle. A bit of chirping, sure. It's as much a part of the game as scoring goals and winning face offs. We as hockey fans have come to expect it, whether watching from the comfort of our own homes or in the arena. But when gritty crosses the line into dirty and dangerous, that's where I cross the line. I'll also be the first to admit that my team isn't perfect. Have they gotten away with some things that they should've been penalized for? Definitely. But so has every other team in the league at some point. But nowhere is this more evident than with the Boston Bruins.
Case in point, Game 5 between the Boston Bruins and Montréal Canadiens last night, when with less than two minutes left to the game, and his team winning, Shawn Thornton took the opportunity to squirt water in the face of Habs defenseman P.K. Subban. Not once, but twice. In doing so, he impeded the vision of Subban, which could've (but luckily didn't) result in injury. P.K. was upset, and rightly so. Afterwards, in a post game interview, he stated that if it had been him who'd done it, it'd be talked about for days. I couldn't agree more.
I see many Boston fans saying today that P.K. is a p***y and should suck it up. I see others saying that it was just a joke, and that a bit of water never hurt anybody. I see terms like baby and whiny bitch being tossed about, but to be completely honest here, I'm failing to see where any of this is funny. Let's say the situation were reversed, and it had been P.K. who had squirted Thornton twice with water from the bench. Would Boston fans think it was funny then? Probably not. In reality, they would probably be irate, much like Habs fans are today. They would be calling for his suspension, and would want his head on a silver platter.
The truth of the matter is that what Shawn Thornton did was dangerous, no matter who he did it to. And I think what bothers a lot of hockey aficionados is that this happened during play. Not in a scrum or a stoppage in play, but during an actual play. In matters such as this, it feels dirty and dangerous for such an act to occur. Let's see how you'd feel if you were in that players shoes and couldn't see, Bruins fans. Because honestly, you and your whole fan base sicken me right now.
In my opinion, what Thornton did was reprehensible. He is a grown man (at least in size, if not in brains), and should be ashamed of what he did, because impeding another player's vision by squirting water in his face is childish, and has no place in the game. Geez, what's next? Whoopee cushions?
NHL, get your shit together. Because player safety is no laughing matter. The only thing that is are your so called punishments. Do you think this will change Thornton's goonish behaviour? Cause I've got news for you- it won't. He'll do it again and again and again, just like Marchand diving and Lucic's spearing dudes in the nuts.
But that's another rant for another time.
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