Attaboy Prusty! That hideous rat had it coming, if not for a specific incident in this game (I didn't watch), for the entirety of his oeuvre.
And spare me the howls from Jackass Edwards, and the calls for further discipline. Former Bruin and League protégé Milan Lucic did it not once, not twice, but thrice in a couple of weeks, in three separate games, against Alexei Emelin and Danny DeKeyser, and it was explained away as highjinks and love taps, not 'real' spearing. Despite the fact that there's not this grey area to be found in the rulebook, spearing is strictly forbidden, even an attempt or simulated spearing, it's crystal clear.
Rule 62 – Spearing
62.1 Spearing - Spearing shall mean stabbing an opponent with the point
of the stick blade, whether contact is made or not.
62.2 Double-minor Penalty - A double-minor penalty will be imposed on a
player who spears an opponent and does not make contact.
62.3 Major Penalty - A major penalty shall be imposed on a player who
spears an opponent (see 62.5).
62.4 Match Penalty - A match penalty shall be imposed on a player who
injures an opponent as a result of a spear.
62.5 Game Misconduct Penalty - Whenever a major penalty is assessed
for spearing, a game misconduct penalty must also be imposed.
62.6 Fines and Suspensions - There are no specified fines or
suspensions for spearing, however, supplementary discipline can be
applied by the Commissioner at his discretion (refer to Rule 28).
So what's good for the goose is good for gander, Colin Campbell. Your Bruins skated on this before, Brandon should also. If he had wanted to really spear Mr. Marchand, he would have buried the blade of his stick right to the shaft, the Bruin would have been picking hockey tape out of his colon after the game.
I'll be watching this episode very closely, and expecting that nothing befall Brandon, since Big Bad Milan got away with it, and since Brandon "isn't that type of player", he didn't 'mean' to spear Brad in the nuts. It's something that happens in the heat of the moment. Brandon's a proud, emotional guy, he competes really hard. Nothing more.
(EDITED): Brad Marchand, cornered in by his own paint-job, makes a case for Brandon Prust spearing Brad Marchand in the nuts.
Put a smile on my face!
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