Burke says uproar is misguided

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Brian Burke (CP)

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TORONTO Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke said Wednesday the uproar over the escalating number of suspensions and untoward acts in the first round of the NHL playoffs is misplaced.

He believes the storyline is the NHL enjoying the most compelling post-season start in many years, with highly competitive series and exceptional drama.

"This is like people complaining about the rain at Woodstock," Burke said. "Yes, there was lots of mud, but it was the greatest music gathering in history."

NHL senior vice-president of player safety Brendan Shanahan has handed out eight suspensions, double the number that were handed out during the 2011 post-season. Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres will receive the ninth for his high hit against Chicago Blackhawks star Marian Hossa, who was carried off the ice in a stretcher. He was released from the hospital a couple of hours later.

"I hope we continue to nail the people who are crossing the line," Burke said. "But this is a small number of incidents, and it's unfortunate that non-hockey media is focusing on that. But what I see is great hockey. It's awesome."

The Chicago-Phoenix series has had three consecutive overtime games. The No. 8 Los Angeles Kings were within one win of sweeping the No. 1 Vancouver Canucks. Pekka Rinne has made 81 saves over the past two games to put the Nashville Predators within a win of knocking off the rival Detroit Red Wings.

Burke said parity and the coincidence of natural rivals playing against each other in the first round has contributed to the increase of players behaving badly.

"The Penguins and Flyers don't like each other," Burke said. "I'm convinced that if this was the pre-season, it would be just as intense."

Burke said what we are seeing is "third-round intensity in first-round games."

"Nine times of 10 when players cross the line, it's emotional," Burke said. "It's not cognitive. (Washington's Nicklas) Backstrom didn't say the other night, I'm going to go in and cross-check this guy. Aaron Asham didn't say to himself. I'm going to cross-check Brayden Schenn in the throat. It's adrenaline. It's reaction."

Burke doesn't buy the argument that the situation involves players no longer respecting each other.

"People say there is no respect," Burke said. "I'm not sure how much respect there has ever been in the game when the adrenaline starts to run."

Years ago, Burke was the NHL's discipline guru, and he understands that Shanahan has a job that usually makes him a lightning rod for criticism.

"I think he's making the right calls and he's attaching the proper weight (on his suspensions)," Burke said. "If you would give a guy six games in the regular season, how much do you him in the first round?"

Burke said he would give Shanahan the same advice he received from his predecessor Brian O'Neill when he took the job.

"You can't make people happy, so just do the job," Burke said. "And I think Brendan is doing that. It's impossible for fans to be rationale at this time of year. It's impossible for Detroit fans not to be outraged when Shea Weber wasn't suspended (for slamming Henrik Zetterberg's head into the glass). But I don't think he should have been."

-- McClatchey News Service

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 19, 2012 C3