VS

 *****For anyone who hasn't seen the hit yet, you can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xAEetam6HQ

I didn't see this game at all, and am almost glad I didn't. I got calls and text messages telling me that the Bruins best young player, and my personal favorite player, was taken off of the ice on a stretcher, and may have had a broken neck or worse. In Washington DC, I couldn't get any updates on Patrice Bergeron's condition, as ESPNNews wasn't reporting much, just that he was taken from the ice on a stretcher. Thankfully, Bergeron suffered only a concussion and a broken nose. Yes, that's how severe this hit was, only a broken nose and only a Grade 3 concussion. I finally saw the highlights, and it was hard to watch. Bergeron was prone when Randy Jones hit him, and his head went directly into the dasher on the boards. Bergeron crumpled to the ice, and wasn't moving much. He did twitch a few times, which I suppose could have been taken for good news, meaning he may not have been paralyzed. It still makes me sick to my stomach to see those pictures of Bergeron lying on the ice not moving, or being strapped onto a backboard and taken off of the ice on a stretcher. It doesn't matter what player for what team, a hockey fan or human being in general never wants to see an injury like that.

My friend told me on the phone that Bergeron was "hurt bad", and seemed to be fearing the worst, as was my brother. It turns out that Bergeron emerged in the best possible condition, having had no neck injuries or brain damage. Hopefully, he'll be back on the ice soon, though it remains to see how this injury will affect his play. It'll be hard to blame Patrice if he's somewhat skittish about going into corners after loose pucks now. Also, concussions aren't an easy thing to come back from for a hockey player, due to all of the bumping and jostling that occurs during a normal hockey game. Keith Primeau, Eric Lindros and Peter Forsberg are all proof of this, and that's just in recent years. Right now, the Bruins need to play their game on their own, but thoughts of their teammate certainly won't be far from their minds.

As far as the hit itself, my first thought upon seeing the highlights was that it was a dirty hit, and Randy Jones should be suspended for 20+ games. However, after seeing it a few more times, it seems like it was just a collision of bad, bad circumstances. Bergeron was in a horribly vulnerable position when he went into the corner by no fault of his own. Jones shouldn't have hit Bergeron from behind. That's an unwritten (and perhaps even written) rule in the NHL, that if you can see the numbers, it's time to pull up and put on the breaks. Jones' hit wasn't malicious, it wasn't meant to injure, it was just ill-advised.

Should he have stopped? Yes, but it's hard to not make a check when your job is to get the puck.

Was it a dirty hit? Yes it was, but I don't believe Jones had dirty intentions when he made the play?

Should he have been suspended? Honestly, I went back and forth on this one. Yes, it was a bad hit, and he deserves to be punished. However, similar hits have occurred in the NHL and no suspensions were dished out. I think it may have simply been the terrifying way Bergeron fell and was carted off the ice that cemented the suspension. Anytime a player is hurt like that, a suspension is going to be given out. I really think the best punishment for Jones would have been to have his game misconduct taken away, and to have had to go back out on the ice after that hit. Trust me, he would have had his hit settled the "old time hockey" way, and that would have been the end of it. At this point, there is going to be more bad blood next time these two teams play, and one can only hope no one else gets hurt.

On YouTube, there are other videos, including one from the Flyers broadcast of the game. Don't watch that one, unless you want commentary from complete idiots. One of them actually suggests that Bergeron put himself in a vulnerable position on purpose, and that they do it all of the time. Another suggested that the hit didn't even look like it deserved a penalty, that it wasn't boring. Please. Watch the video, it was a hit from behind, and shut up. I can't stand when announcers can't find fault with their own team.  

As you may have guessed, I didn't really care who won or lost this game, and still don't. What matters from this game is that Patrice Bergeron was seriously injured. It doesn't even matter that the Bruins will be without one of their best players for at least a month, because a 23 year old man was almost paralyzed or worse. Hopefully the B's can bounce back and win some for their teammate, as their upcoming schedule is a tough one.

GOALS:

Boston- Marco Sturm (4)

Philadelphia- Mike Richards (6), Joffrey Lupul (4)

SAVES:

Boston- Tim Thomas, 26 saves on 28 shots

Philadelphia- Martin Biron, 38 saves on 39 shots

NEXT GAME: Thursday, November 1 vs. Buffalo Sabres @ 7:00 PM EST