Laraque Gets Five For Kronwall Injury

((HT: FS Detroit/Wingsfights.com))

The Montreal Canadiens Georges Laraque got a five-game unpaid vacation from his day job for the following hit on the Detroit Red Wings Niklas Kronwall...



And those of us at OSG HQ are pretty sure that popping Darren Helm in the mush with his stick didn't help matters at the beginning of the shift...

You heard the Wings play-by-play guys... they thought the play on Kronwall was dirty.
Stupid and unnecessary to be sure... but Laraque's rep got that adjective thrown at him more than anything...

And, as TSN's Darren Dreger agrees, it was Big Georges' Rep that got him five instead of two or three...

He had done it a year and a half ago as a member of the Pens...
((HT: FSN Pittsburgh/ESPNEWS))


Laraque is one tough sumbitch. He's that guy you hate when you play him, but love him when he's on your roster...

There's a reason Montreal picked him up... it's called "April, May, and June."
Last time those of us at OSG HQ checked... it's still November...

Big Win For Blackhawks, Big Hit On Havlat

Hockey fans in Chicago are breathing easier after their Blackhawks, who saw a 3 goal lead evaporate in the 2nd period, bounce back and defeat the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 on Patrick Sharp's 1:52 into overtime. At least for today Sharp in the toast of the Windy City.

Both teams played down a player after Niklas Kronwall's crushing blow on Chicago's Martin Havlat in the first period. You can roll the video tape yourself below (Thanks TMLeafer/CBC/Youtube)

Was it the right call? Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg say bull hockey. He told the Detroit Free Press "I thought it was a clean hit," Zetterberg said. "I was on the ice and I heard their bench was yelling, "heads up, heads up," and Kronner stepped up and hit him."

Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock said that "it was absolutely the wrong call,"

The NHL's take? according to Kris King, the NHL's officials supervisor for the series, said Havlat, "did not play the puck. Without talking to officials, I'm sure that's how they deemed it -- that he didn't have possession of the puck when he was hit."

The Red Wings have a difference of opinion. The Blackhawks are in full agreement.

The OSG crew thinks this series is just heating up.

Photo Courtesy: Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune