{"id":29667,"date":"2008-02-12T16:55:37","date_gmt":"2008-02-12T22:55:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uscho.com\/2008\/02\/12\/tuesday-morning-quarterback-february-12\/"},"modified":"2010-08-17T19:57:10","modified_gmt":"2010-08-18T00:57:10","slug":"tuesday-morning-quarterback-february-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wwwproxy.uscho.com\/2008\/02\/12\/tuesday-morning-quarterback-february-12\/","title":{"rendered":"Tuesday Morning Quarterback: February 12"},"content":{"rendered":"
Jim:<\/b> Well, Scott, tons of things to talk about this week, from the Beanpot to brawls in Rochester to leading scorers leaving early. But we can start it all off with the marquee matchup in Miami. I think we both agreed that a split between No. 1 Miami and No. 2 Michigan seemed most likely. So when the Wolverines came away with three points, earning a victory on Friday and a tie on Saturday, you have to think that they got the better of the series. Most importantly, Michigan leapfrogged the RedHawks in the race for first place in the CCHA. What are your thoughts on this clash of the titans?<\/p>\n
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Red Berenson’s Michigan Wolverines made a statement last weekend (photo: Melissa Wade).<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Scott:<\/b> Miami can’t be particularly happy with the outcome of the series, but as Rico Blasi pointed out, this is hardly a death knell. One point out of four in your own arena is never a good thing, but it’s not as if Miami was playing a peewee team. And the RedHawks showed a lot of heart in coming back from a two-goal deficit Saturday to earn a point when they could have gotten none; that may be the silver lining in an otherwise-gray weekend. As you mention, Michigan passed Miami in the CCHA standings and also in the all-important PairWise Rankings, but the ‘Hawks are still on track for a good seed in the NCAA tournament, and once you get to the field of 16 it’s anybody’s game, as Michigan State demonstrated last season. Moving East, though, this week it’s your turn to comment on a melee, between Canisius and RIT. What gives?<\/p>\n
Jim:<\/b> I’ve just today seen some video from that Canisius-RIT brawl and have to say that this one ranks up there as one of the biggest disgraces in recent memory. Obviously, tempers flared between these in-state rivals, but the key to this altercation was the actions of Canisius defenseman Carl Hudson. After officials placed Hudson in the penalty box and it appeared things were beginning to defuse, Hudson battled his way past the penalty-box doorman and rejoined the battle. Once back into the melee, Hudson could be seen grabbing and continuously smashing an RIT player’s head into the ice. When all was said and done, only five players received disqualification penalties, which befuddles me. If all 12 players (actually, it appears the count should be 13, as one of the Canisius players reportedly left the bench) are engaged in fights, each deserves a disqualification penalty. It’s not without precedent in Atlantic Hockey as a game two years ago between Mercyhurst and Army resulted in a six-by-six brawl in which all 12 players were pumped with DQs. The only thing that the refs seem to have gotten right was slapping Hudson with a double DQ for leaving the penalty box, which carries with it a three-game suspension. I’ll be surprised if Atlantic Hockey doesn’t increase that and some other suspensions once videotape is reviewed.<\/p>\n
Scott:<\/b> Have to agree. I watched the video, and if Hudson doesn’t get his suspension extended (and a few other guys too, from the look of things) I’ll be shocked. This one made the UND-Minnesota scrum from a week ago look like a playground tussle. I don’t claim to know the context or history here, but when I tell people about the college game, one of the things I usually explain is how little of this sort of nonsense goes on because the discipline is severe. But now, with two YouTube-quality incidents a week apart, I may have a tougher time justifying that claim. Does something need to be done at the conference or even NCAA level to crack down further? My gut feeling is no, that the rules on fighting have worked pretty well in recent years, but a message may have to be sent in this case to remind everyone. Your thoughts?<\/p>\n