So I just had the (dis) pleasure of reading an article about how Kris Versteeg shouldn’t have reacted after Willie Mitchell’s devastating hit on Jonathan Toews. This is the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard in my life.
While it may not have been the best instance to take a penalty, it honestly doesn’t matter. I like the fact that Versteeg was the one to step up, he saw his captain down and he reacted. Good for you Steeger!
Hits like that change the momentum of a game for obvious reasons, sometimes for the worse (as is the case here since this began the parade to the penalty box for the Hawks) or for the better (like during the Sabres Senators brawl in 2007). While these two examples are very, very different the principle is the same.
If you watch the video of the Sabres Senators brawl, Chris Drury was hit late and with an elbow. As soon as he hit the ice, Stafford was hitting Chris Neil. This was an excellent move given the situation and the fact that it was Stafford that went after Neil made it that much more impressive. After this little “fight” Murray was stupid enough to put his top line out against Buffalo’s bruising fourth line of Peters, Mair and Kaleta. As soon as the puck dropped Mair went after Spezza, Peters went after Heatley and even Marty Biron and Ray Emery went at it.
While obviously the situation in Chi-town didn’t escalate to the extent the fight in Buffalo did, but Chris Drury meant the same thing to the Sabres as Jonathan Toews does to the Blackhawks. Drury kept the Sabres balanced and was one of the best leaders this team has ever had, while Johnny isn’t quite there yet, he’s well on his way. There isn’t a player in the league that can match his intensity (he’s called Captain Serious for a reason right?) and his drive. All in all Jonathan Toews is a very important piece to the Blackhawks and you stand up for him NO MATTER WHAT!
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