Screen Shots: Auston Matthews, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Steve Kozari
Adam Proteau discusses the speculation about Auston Matthews' absence in Game 5, whether the NHL should have a shot clock for penalty shots and referee Steve Kozari.
Welcome back to a playoff edition of Screen Shots, an ongoing THN.com feature in which we tackle a few hockey topics and break them down in a few brief paragraphs. Let’s get to it:
The health status of Toronto Maple Leafs superstar center Auston Matthews continues to be a topic of extreme interest.
Certainly, Matthews’ most recent appearances on the ice in the Buds’ first-round playoff series against Boston saw him looking uncomfortable and unable to play at the standard he’s accustomed to, and fan and media speculation about what’s been ailing him has become a full boil bubbling over.
That brings us to the question – what right does the public have to be fully and truthfully informed about a professional athlete’s health?
On the one hand, there are 32 NHL teams that have basically agreed to limit public access, with the reasoning being they believe opponents would target players’ injured areas in the high-stakes, high-drama Stanley Cup playoffs. On the other hand, there are those who note that other pro sports leagues do specifically disclose what injuries a player has sustained. The NFL is about as physical as the NHL is, yet the NFL stipulates that injuries are specific and matter-of-fact. There are no “lower body injuries” in the NFL.
You can see, then, why a segment of Leafs fans are frustrated with the secrecy surrounding Matthews’ malady. Some would say fans deserve to know what’s wrong with their team’s players. But clearly, there’s a difference of opinion as far as injury disclosure goes, and it’s unlikely there will be consensus anytime soon. The NHL and NHL Players' Association don’t feel any pressure to change the status quo, and part of the public will continue demanding more information.
But make no mistake – when you don’t come out clean about injuries, you invite uninformed speculation and even criticism that do no good. The more there’s full disclosure, the less we’ll hear from rumor mongers.
Another element of playoff debate of late in the playoffs was the penalty shot goal Carolina Hurricanes center Evgeny Kuznetsov scored Tuesday against the New York Islanders.
Kuznetsov’s tactics on the goal were all about skating speed – non-existent speed.
Kuznetsov brought back memories of former NHLer Jason Allison and Patrick Kane tearing down the ice at reverse-breakneck quickness. In this instance, Kuznetsov was almost moving backward through time.
While that delighted Hurricanes fans (and Washington Capitals fans who were used to seeing those tactics from Kuznetsov), the issue of how shootout shots and penalty shots are conducted is now a topic of discussion among fans.
One person in a THN.com editorial meeting Wednesday suggested a shot clock of sorts for shootout and penalty shots. We kind of like that. Give the player six to seven seconds to move in on the goalie and shoot the puck. That’s ample amount of time to skate half the length of the ice and try your best to score.
If you’re taking more time than that – Kuznetsov’s shootout goal took about eight seconds to pull off (and more than 11 seconds to pull off when starting from the goal line at the other end of the rink) – then your shot shouldn’t count. Sounds doable to this writer. Baseball has a pitch clock. The NBA has a shot clock. The NHL doesn’t have a shot clock, but it ought to.
Finally, let’s talk about veteran NHL referee Steve Kozari’s, er, “discussion” with Bruins players in the heat of their Game 5 first-round series against Boston – specifically, the language he used when talking to B's veterans Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak. Cover your eyes, kids.
Kozari made no effort to disguise his disgust with both teams after a physical run-in between them. But he was looking and talking directly to McAvoy and Pastrnak when Kozari spoke up in their conversation and let them have it with what was obviously some rated-R language.
Sometimes, hockey fans fail to understand that on-ice officials are also human beings, and they have the same frustrations we all have. Moreover, Kozari’s comments have been uttered by many, if not most of us, in high-pressure situations. It happens. Let’s get past it.
Kozari had a notable night Tuesday, as Boston play-by-play broadcaster Jack Edwards called him a “coward” for leaving the ice at the end of the second period.
Yes, you read that correctly. An announcer used an insulting word to describe an official whose unforgivable crime was exiting the playing surface at the agreed-upon time. Edwards was commenting after Kozari refused to continue speaking to McAvoy after a power play was awarded to Toronto.
All we can say is Kozari is a tough customer, returning to work only weeks after he was stretchered off the ice after an in-game collision. Not sure many cowards could’ve pulled that off.
Kozari deserves a little more respect than what he’s been given. The officials are nowhere near perfect, and they do make mistakes, but that doesn’t give people the right to call their character.
Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here.