HockeyChara ruling no easy decision

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Size wasn't a factor for Montreal's Scott Gomez as he stood face-to-face with Zdeno Chara after the big Bruins blue-liner levelled Max Pacioretty on Tuesday night. (Paul Chiasson/Canadian Press)

Who would want to be placed in Mike Murphy's shoes?

The ruling on the hit by Zdeno Chara on Max Pacioretty was left to Mike Murphy, as the NHL's regular disciplinarian, Colin Campbell, recuses himself from decisions involving his son's team. But Murphy, the league's senior vice president of hockey operations, is an old pro in many ways. He has played at the NHL level, coached in the league, and has now been Campbell's right-hand man for many years. So, it is no surprise that Murphy got this call right. And it was no easy task.

Pacioretty 's horrible crash into the stanchion in the Bell Centre on Tuesday night was revolting. There could not have been a hockey soul in the building who didn't dread the consequences of the collision. It is never pleasant to see an athlete carried off on a stretcher and it's even more frightening when a head and neck injury is involved. That guttural reaction could easily lead to a misinformed conclusion - the player was hurt and therefore the hit must have been somehow illegal and malicious. In this case, it was illegal but without malice.

Defencemen have to turn and pivot dozens of times each game. This can occur at any given moment on the ice surface and is the moment of truth during a one-on-one confrontation. The defender reads the move and reacts in an attempt to deny space for his opponent, hoping to direct him to a non-threatening place. In doing so on this occasion, Chara was merely fulfilling his job requirements. This time, Pacioretty had the edge.

Split-second moment turned awry 

With a step and with speed, he tried to wedge his way past the Bruins defender. In turn, Chara recognized that he was beaten and the result probably would have been an excellent scoring opportunity for the Habs. But in a millisecond of contemplation, the Bruins blue-liner reached out with his arm to slow his opponent. A clear violation.

An easy interference call with a disastrous result. Pushed a foot or two over the edge of the boards, Pacioretty met a wall of glass and metal and now faces an uncertain hockey future.

That Chara was culpable there is no doubt. But the turn and pivot and angling of an opponent happened so quickly that I don't believe there was any recognition of where they were on the ice. Neither player in these determined moments saw the danger. And in this sport, it is always unexpectedly there.  The officials made the call correctly ... interference with a violent result. And with that, they left the rest to Mike Murphy.

As in all things head shot these days, there is a river of opinion. But Murphy rowed it perfectly. This was a hockey play gone badly. It could happen anytime in a game as dangerous as this. No intent was found. Because there was none. Tip of the cap to a man in a tough spot.

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