"It's a joke," the Boogeyman steamed. "The guy hasn't had a fight in his NHL career. It shows that a guy like Brad May has no respect. He deserves no respect from anybody. That's how he's going to be treated."
The Minnesota Wild finally, finally won a playoff game, warding off elimination with a convincing win last night against the Anaheim Ducks. Today, however, all of the talk is surrounding the silliness that went down late in the game, including what is being called an ugly sucker-punch by Ducks hammerhead Brad May to the face of the Wild's top defenceman, Kim Johnsson.
Johnsson's averaged 41 penalty minutes per year since entering the NHL in 1999-00. May, well, he's another of Brian Burke's punch-happy henchmen, a guy who has averaged 7:41 ice time in this series and generally been a complete non-entity.
Until he blindsides one of the opposition's best defencemen.
Johnsson, meanwhile, has averaged more than 23 minutes per game in the series, and is generally considered a pretty key element to Minnesota's shutdown game. Video of the incident is not available as it happened away from the play, but he apparently fell to the ice immediately and was able to leave under his own power only after being down for a few minutes. His status for tomorrow's game is not yet known, while May faces a likely one-game suspension – although the impact that has on Anaheim's line-up is negligible.
Wild coach Jacques Lemaire doesn't have a problem with playing ugly, and given the way the Ducks' checking lines have been loaded with thugs this season, Game 5 in Anaheim could be mighty interesting.
In a sideshow sort of way.
We saw a lot of Derek Boogaard, he of negligible hockey talent himself, in the dying minutes of Game 4, and I imagine there's a good chance he's suddenly a far more important piece of Lemaire's arsenal at this point.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
4-18-2007 @ 1:09PM
Earl Sleek said...
Wow. I'd be surprised if it were only one game for Brad May. That punch had shades of Todd Bertuzzi and Steve Moore all over it, and for sure they'll remember May's role in that earlier incident when reviewing last night's on-ice crime.
My guess, before reading anything, was seven games, and I'm pro-Duck.
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4-18-2007 @ 1:25PM
BJ said...
Just a reminder that Boogaard, he of negligible hockey talent, set up the first Wild goal by checking the puck free from a defender along the boards, skating free and sending a rather nice pass to a streaking Bouchard. May hasn't made plays like that since he left Buffalo.
I predict that #24 is going to hurt someone, like he did to Fedoruk in October.
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4-18-2007 @ 1:39PM
DuxxGirl95 said...
I say who is Boogard to have such a bog mouth when he ws all over my team with his sticks and his fists...?
As far as May being like Bertuzzi - I disagree. Take a look at SImon who sat out ONLY 25 games without and other serious consequences after what he did. This wasn't even Simon's first or second offense!!!Whereas with May, he's not a troublemaker like Simon so he should be treated with either NO SUSPENSION or maybe a 1 game suspension.
Read this: http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=186854
If you people don't know all the facts, please don't waste everyone else's time by posting about stuff you know nothing about.
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4-18-2007 @ 1:56PM
Earl Sleek said...
DuxxGirl95, a) Brad May IS a troublemaker, probably the second-biggest name in the Bertuzzi scandal itself (he put the "bounty" up on Moore's head)
b) I'm not sure Simon is a good comparison at all. Simon at least got hit first, and attacked someone who was a threat to fight him back.
c) You've written with a lot of defensive homerism, maybe you need to take a step back from this one as well. This attack is not really an action that Duck fans should be defending, in my opinion.
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4-18-2007 @ 2:09PM
BJ said...
Steve Moore's Brother is plays for the Wild. I'd like to see how he'd deal with May...
May is indeed a troublemaker. Just look up his career stats.
Boogaard has never sucker punched anyone at the NHL level. He has, however, injured players with hits. Look that up too.
For a source for news and stats, I'd recommend the Hockey News for reliability and volume of info.
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4-18-2007 @ 4:54PM
Jon "J.P." Press said...
Further to Earl's point, here's the exact quote: "There's definitely a bounty on his head. Clean hit or not, that's our best player and you respond. It's going to be fun when we get him."
Hope he had his fun.
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4-18-2007 @ 5:33PM
andy said...
wow..how can u compare to bertuzzi/moore?..and after, johnsson got up pretty quick..dirty punch yes..was much damage done, no way. and as for boogard..how many knees can a guy throw in 1 game? this guy has absolutely no room saying anything. he could have had a penalty almost every shift he was on the ice. but when he's the size he is he is the stereotypical bully..probably was growing up his whole life. i guess cementhead is another description of a boogard
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4-18-2007 @ 6:58PM
Earl Sleek said...
You can compare it to Bertuzzi/Moore because it was an unprovoked sucker punch--the fact that Johnsson was eventually able to regain his feet is relevant but not the main point. Seven games (my guess) is significantly lower than what Bertuzzi got for a much more damaging (but no less dirty) punch.
And Boogaard is a different story completely--no matter his conduct that does not excuse what Brad May did.
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4-18-2007 @ 7:55PM
Erin said...
I must have missed something. May is not a trouble maker???
Does he not already have a 20 game suspension in his past??
Yeah, that stinks of innocence.
The only reason Thornton isn't getting suspended too is that what May did overshadowed him.
There is nothing wrong with Boogaard fighting when it's a fair fight. Sucker punching a guy who is not and never has been a fighter is completely against the hockey unwritten code of conduct and he'll be lucky to get less than five.
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4-18-2007 @ 7:55PM
Erin said...
Also, as someone who was at the game, Johnsson did NOT get up quickly and he did NOT make the trip with the team because of the severity of the injury. No, he wasn't paralyzed or anything... but he laid there for quite some time and according to people on the ice was completely knocked out and unconscious for the first 10 seconds or so.
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4-18-2007 @ 8:08PM
Earl Sleek said...
Oh, I guess I should add that I think S. Thornton deserves one game also for third-man-in, at least if I were handing out the punishments. Thanks for reminding me, Erin.
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4-18-2007 @ 10:33PM
Earl Sleek said...
Sorry, Dave I gotta respond:
To complain about inconsistent refereeing is kind of moot at this point, especially if you've got a rooting interest--we've seen two seasons of inconsistencies that are just too tough to argue all the time.
At this point, the PP time for the series stands at MIN 41 min., ANA 25 min. Yeah, you can always gripe about the one that got away, but you're realistically not going to get a lot better ratios than that. Referees are always looking to 'even up', it's just going to happen.
All I'm saying is, questionable calls didn't start in game 83 in Anaheim. Shouldn't save your gripes up for the point when they matter to your team.
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4-18-2007 @ 10:40PM
ryan said...
i just want to say that johnsson actually went to a local hospital after this incident. personally i'm curious as to why may didn't think that thornton-who has proven he can handle is own-couldn't fend off somone who, as far as i am aware, has never had a fight in the nhl
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4-18-2007 @ 10:43PM
Wild Benny said...
I sincerely hope May isn't suspended for his actions...watching Boogey pummel that gutless punk will be a much better solution. If he's not available, watching Thornton crumble will suffice!
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4-18-2007 @ 11:05PM
Wild Benny said...
A preview of May's destiny...
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4-18-2007 @ 11:28PM
Dave said...
For some reason I get the feeling that many of the above obvious duck fans must not have seen the game that I saw. Duck fans have no room to complain about any calls that didn't go in their favor last night. The wild had been mugged at practically every area of the ice, especially in game 4. The ducks lone goal came after a penalty to Veilleux, apparently for getting punched by two of the ducks before punching one of them back (a new interpetation to the rule book I guess). For those that maybe didn't really watch the game, the officiating was horrible. If the officials would have called the penalties that they let go, most of the fighting would have probably been avoided. Also, Boogaard would not be on the ice for the wild if he was out there solely as an enforcer. Checking lines Check!
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4-19-2007 @ 11:39AM
DuxxGirl95 said...
Calls are going against the Ducks only because the Wild were whining about the calls going aginst them.
Ducks will win this series. No doubt about it. Only twice in NHL history have teams come back from being down by 3. This will not be the third time. History will not be made with this series as far as a comeback goes for the Wild.
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4-19-2007 @ 12:16PM
C.J. said...
Look May isn't a clean player. 3 games is fair. MN fans you should know that Boogaard is dirty and does nothing but bend rules. He has gone after Shannon (5'8 not even 200 pounds). Whats the point of smashing little guys in to the glass or his knee to knee with Huskins. Honestly I don't like either team. May shouldn't have done what he did, that is why he is suspended. Thorton got involved because he was protecting Huskins who isn't a fighter. That is part of Thorton's job. He got his third man in and was given a game misconduct. These games have been called fair so far and I don't think any team should be whining. To me both Boogaard and May are dirty players and that is the bottom line.
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4-19-2007 @ 2:35PM
The Voice of Reason said...
C.J., let me ask you a question: how many 20-game suspensions has Boogaard had in his NHL playing career? Oh, that's right, none. May is a hack and always has been. The simple reality is this: Boogaard -- by virtue of his 6'7" 260-pound body, has a bullseye on his back when it comes to penalty calls against him. For those of you that saw game four, you'll remember the play of which I'm going to speak. For those that didn't, I'll describe. At one point when the refs had clearly lost control of the game, May coldcocked Boogaard to the face -- in plain view of the refs. Because Boogaard didn't flinch, May didn't get what was clearly a penalty. In fact, when Boogaard didn't move, May instinctively moved back a step because he assumed that Boogaard was going to pound him. As for the knee to knee hit in game 1, you folks need to look at that replay. Boogaard actually turned AWAY from that collision. The reality is, however, when you're a big guy in the NHL and you hit somebody, there's always somebody whining about it. Get over it Ducks fans. Last time I checked, Jonssen was lost for the year because of a sucker punch from a guy who shouldn't even be in the league. There is a difference between being a noted pugilist (Boogaard) and a confirmed goon (May).
The Voice of Reason has spoken.
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4-20-2007 @ 1:44AM
Jessica said...
I really hate when people say Brad May isn't a dirty player. I started disliking that guy about a month ago when they played CBJ. I was watching the game on TV from home and the camera caught him face-washing one of the younger players who I've never seen get into a fight of any kind before. The guy is low and a coward. If he wants to be a jerk, he needs to pound it out fair and square. Instead, he cheapshots in more ways than one at any chance he gets. Guess I'll be rooting for Minnesota for sure from here on out.
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