Hey Refs, Where is the Consistency?

The Washington Capitals extended their win streak to 9 games last night with a 4-1 win over the Florida Panthers. But the Caps walk away with a sour taste in their mouths because of a hit on Mike Green that sent the star defenseman sprawling.

In the second period while pursuing the puck, Green was hit hard by Dmitry Kulikov in a knee on knee collision. Green looked up just in time to see Kulikov coming and tried to avoid him. Kulikov then reflexively extend his knee in an attempt to catch Green. The result was a scary hit that looked exactly like those that got Alexander Ovechkin into trouble. Green dropped onto the ice and had to be helped off by his teammates. He did not return. He says the injury is not serious and that he wanted to return, but he was kept out by the trainers who decided to err on the side of caution. His status for Sunday's game against Tampa Bay remains uncertain.

Knee on knee hits are considered very serious by the NHL because they can easily lead to very serious injuries. Ovechkin threw two similar hits earlier in the season and was ejected from both games. He was then given a two game suspension. The message was clear. You're not a dirty player, but you need to tone it down a bit. Since then, it has not been an issue. So what happened to Kulikov? Nothing. No suspension, as of yet, no ejection, not even a penalty. The result of the play was a minor penalty against the Capitals for retaliating. This was not a dirty hit, but it was serious one that deserved serious consequences. The most important part of officiating is consistency. Officials must make consistent calls. This no call was absurd.

Who doesn't remember the sudden outcry against Ovechkin? People all over the league questioned whether Ovechkin was a dirty player. Much of the criticism was completely unwarranted. Now there's no outcry at all. There's nothing. One reason of course is the fact that Ovechkin is the best player in the world, and Kulikov is not a big name. That fact is made irrelevant by the seriousness of the crime. Knee on knee hits are serious. That is the most troubling part of this. Inconsistency on minor penalties is annoying, but players are not in physical danger when another team is allowed to hold or trip at will. When a player can collide into another player's knee, especially against a player as prominent as Green, and there is no penalty at all, that's serious. Neither Ovechkin's or Kulikov's hits were dirty, but they were serious none the less. While Green's injury does not appear to be serious, it easily could have been. Will lesser known players be allowed these kind of hits until someone gets hurt? I am outraged that someone like Ovechkin can be called dirty, while Green can be sent flying without a penalty. If that's the way the officials will call the Caps then Ted Leonsis should give the trainers a raise and furnish the penalty box. We are going to see a lot of injuries and a lot of retaliation penalties as the refs continue to turn a blind eye.