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Kalman: Bruins Right To Not Attack Sill For Accidental McQuaid Injury

BOSTON (CBS) -- If you're outraged about the hit Washington forward Zach Sill put on Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid on Tuesday, at least direct your ire in the right direction.

The Bruins deserve no criticism for the way they responded to the hit, and the officials deserve all the blame in the world for not immediately penalizing Sill.

McQuaid hit his head on the glass and had to be helped off the ice during the Bruins' 3-2 loss at TD Garden. The hit was mostly from behind and should've at least been a boarding penalty because the rulebook clearly states the onus is on the hitting player to make sure he doesn't catch the opponent in a vulnerable position.

There was no update on McQuaid after practice Wednesday but it's probable he's going to miss some time. Sill has a hearing Wednesday with the NHL Department of Player Safety so the league front office can make up for what the officials didn't do on the ice.

Beyond a stern talking-to from Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, Sill received no punishment from the Bruins for the hit. Later in the game, Zac Rinaldo and Tyler Randell got in Sill's ear, but things never escalated beyond talk. Rinaldo said on Wednesday that he had no problem with Sill's decision to stand down.

The Bruins were right in going no further in their attempt to avenge their fallen teammate. First of all, it was close game with a crucial two points on the line. There was no reason to go taking a penalty, especially with there being a risk an instigator penalty would be called.

Second, Sill's hit wasn't dirty. You can't classify a hit as dirty just because a player got injured. And if you're going to start fighting over clean or borderline hits, well then what will be left of the sport?

After the game, Barry Trotz classified the hit as a "hockey play." And he was right. He went on to say it was unfortunate McQuaid got hurt. That's exactly what the play was – a hockey play gone awry. Sill didn't go in with the intention to injure McQuaid. The forward tried to get on the right side of McQuaid but didn't, which is a mistake that should be penalized, not an act of violence that should be met with more violence.

If you think Trotz was out of his mind and was just protecting his player, maybe you'll believe someone on the other side. Bruins forward Brad Marchand might not be the best source of analysis about these situations because of his history with the NHLDPS (four suspensions, including the one he's serving right now) but he basically agreed with Trotz.

"I see can his [Sill's] side of it just because if you look at games there are a lot of hits like that," Marchand said. "A guy's going in and he gets hit from behind, but it's just unfortunate that Quaider hit his head off the boards. And that's where the injury happened. So it's unfortunate, but that's a very common play."

Rinaldo said he doesn't think any player ever tries to injure another. He's partly right. When it comes to Sill's hit, or Rinaldo's hit on Tom Wilson (which earned Jason Chimera a roughing penalty for his retaliation against Rinaldo), it's hockey.

"[Bleep] happens," Rinaldo said.

Rinaldo used a four-letter word. He could have just as easily said accidents happen. Players always use the excuse that hockey is a fast game and it's difficult to make the perfect hit every time when defending themselves against potential punishment. That excuse should apply regardless of what sweater the player wears.

The times to retaliate are when a guy is running around hitting everything without any concern for the puck or anyone's safety. A stick swing, slash, jab to the midsection or cross check to the head are all worthy of retaliation. Although Rinaldo somewhat disagreed when it came to Sill, a boarding penalty isn't worthy of a brouhaha just because a player got hurt.

The Bruins have plenty of toughness and they've expressed it time and again all season. They've been in 14 fights. Predatory hits have been met with pushback with and without the gloves on. Matt Beleskey obliged Dylan McIlrath when the Rangers' tough guy took exception to Beleskey's hit on Derek Stepan on Black Friday. That was another example of a hockey play going a tad awry and resulting in injury. With the Bruins player throwing the hit, of course, no one in Boston thought it was a bad hit. Everyone in New York was up in arms. The NHLDPS decided the hit didn't require punishment.

By the way, those that say that retaliating for the Sill hit would've been a bonding experience for the Bruins, take into account what McIlrath's actions against Beleskey did for the Rangers. Since they lost to the Bruins that day, they've won five times in 16 games. The Bruins have retaliated in the past and they're still clinging for dear life to a wild card spot.

Team toughness cannot be measured on how a team reacts to every play in a hockey game. And every play that results in an injury shouldn't be subject to a fight. The Bruins did the right thing, the referees blew the call and the guys with the whistles are the ones that should be taking the heat here.

Matt Kalman covers the Bruins for CBSBoston.com and also contributes to NHL.com and several other media outlets. Follow him on Twitter @TheBruinsBlog.

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