I didn't get to see the Rangers vs Devils game on Sunday, but watching the highlights Monday morning I saw Sean Avery set a screen on Martin Brodeur, he was using his stick as a little bit of an extra screen.

All I heard from different analysts was that what Avery was doing was not illegal, but it was not "kosher" and that is was unsportsmanlike.  I have seen a bunch of different highlights of this and I have found nothing wrong with what Avery is doing.  Avery is being a pest to goalies, that is waht he gets paid to do.

Aside from the analysts saying that Avery was wrong, it is mostly goalies who are poo pooing his actions.  Dallas goalie Marty Turco was one to say that what Avery did was wrong.

I like Turco, but he is not the most objective source to go for to an opinion on an issue like this.  All goalies look out for other goalies.  If every goalie had a say on what was allowed in front of them, they would want to make setting screens illegal.

Avery was just trying to level the playing field between he and Brodeur.  He was trying to make it more difficult for Brodeur to make a stop.  He was trying to heklp his team win the game.

I notice that when I see the talking heads on TSN and Sportsnet saying that Avery was unsportsmanlike, they look over the nice shot to the groin that Brodeur and most goalies give to the players setting the screens.  Nobody came to Avery's defense and said that Brodeur was wrong.

Maybe they say that Avery was wrong because there has been some questionable decisions made in the past.  This is sort of the same talk I heard when Chris Simon stomped on Ruutu's leg, and one analyst said that "It's Ruutu!"

Nobody likes the pest.  Everyone will stick up for the guy who is being bothered by the pest.  Everyone is going to protect the stars like Brodeur and crucify guys like Avery.

If it was another player like Darcy Tucker, people would be calling him an innovator, saying why don't more players use their sticks like that.

Take your opinion of Avery out of the equation, then look at the highlight again.  Then make your decision and see what's wrong.