One of the dirtiest players in the NHL was at it again today. In their 5-2 loss to the New York Rangers this afternoon, Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke delivered a blatant head shot to Ryan McDonagh about 5 minutes into the 3rd period. McDonagh had just sent the puck into the offensive zone, and had his back turned to Cooke who came in from the blind side, with his elbow up and nailed McDonagh. He received a 5 minute major and a game misconduct.
Cooke, who is most well known for his head shot on Boston’s Marc Savard (photo above), is a repeat offender who will certainly receive another suspension this time. While he should get 15 games, my guess is that he will most likely only get about 10 games. With the NHL’s soft policy on punishing head shots, I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets as little as 5-6.
I’ve lost count of how many times Cooke has been on the delivering end of a head shot. In fact, he seems to be checking off all the possible season/career-ending head shots that are possible. He’s now got the blind-side shoulder to the head (Savard), the blindside elbow to the head (McDonagh) and the dangerous hit-from-behind into the boards (Fedor Tyutin, pictured below).
PITTSBURGH, PA - FEBRUARY 8: Matt Cooke #24 of the Pittsburgh Penguins checks Fedor Tyutin #51 of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first period on February 8, 2011 at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Cooke was assessed a five-minute major penalty for charging on the play. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
So hockey fans. Is Matt Cooke the worst goon in the NHL now? What’s the suspension going to be this time?
Greg is the founder of Red Mile Blog has been following the Flames through good times and bad since they arrived in Calgary in the early 80s. He has written hundreds of articles on the Flames since 2005 and considers himself an expert on hockey inconsistency and frustration. He shoots right and usually plays defence, but has been known to jump up in the rush. He is a 2-time CAHL men's league champion and knows the sweet taste of beer from a Cup.
