A Couple of Quickies

Two people are on my mind for this post: Ron Artest (he doesn't deserve the respect of his new-fangled name) and Henrik Lundqvist.  Two people who couldn't be more different.

Artest got a seven-game suspension for his vicious elbow on James Harden of the Thunder.  SEVEN?  The guy who played the key role in Malice at the Palace?  The guy who has a rap sheet as long as I-80, which one can use in part to drive from New York (where Artest played college ball) to Los Angeles (where he currently plays)?  SEVEN?

David Stern deserves clown-like status for this one.  It's an easy call.  Artest should have been gone for the playoffs - at the very least.

Pathetic.

Lundqvist is harder to call out, given that he is a quality guy who comes off very well in interviews.  But, for once, he goofed.  I give you the quote, direct from Greg Wyshynki's post on Puck Daddy:

"It's an absolute joke. Oh my god, it scares me. It's such an obvious play, goalie interference, and a kick. And they still call it a goal? That scares me, that someone can call that. It still upsets me," he said after the game.

"Someone wants them back in the game obviously. There's no other explanation. "

Now, I get it.  The officiating has been laughable.  But that does not - in any way, shape or form - mean that a player or coach can call the integrity of the league - ANY league - into question like that.

I'm sorry, but Lundqvist deserves a penalty for that.  It will likely only be cash, but still, a message has to be sent.  Lundvist is solid, and has been nothing short of awesome all year, but he goofed here.  It should only be a slap on the wrist, but he let his emotions get the best of him.  There's a guy in The Bronx named Jeter who can teach him a thing or two about this.

Oh, and Chris Neil, who has played like a thug in the Sens/Rangers series, deserves some grief as well, not only for his on-ice play, but for his threat against Michael Del Zotto:

“I’m sure I’ll catch him with his head down one of these times.”

Bad form.

Bring on Game 7!  All of them!

Oh, one last thing - I'm stepping out on a ledge here. I said it off the air after "The Press Box" the other night, and I'll go on record.  The Rangers are NOT losing Game 7 tomorrow night.  In fact, I think they're going to go win the Eastern Conference now.  The Rangers will need much more offense, and will HAVE to find a power play game.  But it's just a feeling.  I think they endured their gut-check in Game 6.

Now they go from here.