The Boston Bruins got themselves back into the Stanley Cup Finals after pounding the Vancouver Canucks 8-1 from the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston. Despite the win a scary incident took place in the first period in which Boston forward Nathan Horton had to be take off the ice on a stretcher after a vicious open ice hit by Vancouver’s Aaron Rome.
Rome was given a 5 minute penalty and a game misconduct after Horton was left motionless on the ice for several minutes. This marks the second time in the playoffs, the third time this season and the fourth time in his career that Rome was assessed a game misconduct penalty.
Even though it looked like a clean hard hit, the puck was away from Horton and left Rome with no excuse to lay such a vicious hit on a defenseless Horton. The league is also beginning to take a firmer stance on plays like this to help cut back on concussions and for good reason. Players in the NHL NEED to start having more respect for their counterparts on the ice.
The good news in this is Horton was moving his extremities on the way to the hospital. He is expected to remain in the hospital over night for observation.
The league may have no choice in handing down some sort of suspension to Rome after a questionable ruling with the Alex Burrows biting incident.
