I fucking love it when NHL players take justice into their own hands. To be honest, I think it’s gotten to the point where the players know the refs or the head of NHL Player Safety will not do anything to atone for any wrong doing so the boys are out here lashing out and I can’t get enough of it. Grab your pitchforks, fellas.
How was this not 5 and a game? How can we live in a world where referees can review this and come up with anything other than Cousins executing a very dangerous hit on a player that could’ve resulted in a very serious injury? This is the very moment where the situation could’ve been ended – we could’ve moved on like adults. The refs could’ve kicked Cousins out of the game, the Blue Jackets score once on a 5 minute Power Play and we all move on. It’s almost like when you’re at a bar and you see two guys beaking each other – things begin to settle down – they start to walk away and then someone yells that your moms a whore and boom goes the dynamite.
Above is the correct take. Gudbranson handled the situation himself because the NHL, the refs and some of the players are too gutless to do the right thing. Gudbranson handled this the way a player would’ve handled it back in the 80’s or 90’s and for me – that is what makes this my highlight of the 2023-24 season. I texted Hal and Rex after this happened and they agreed – this was fucking awesome. Gudbranson is out here playing old school hockey, Cousins is out here turtling his little heart out, and the NHL player safety continue to pretend like they have a clue of what should or shouldn’t be allowed in todays game. 1 game for a player handling his business and nothing for a player who buries someone from behind and who has the reputation of being a little terd running around and never backing it up.
$25 for a mint condition signed Erik Gudbranson puck for the podcast studio? No brainer.
The Morning Skate 