Mastodon
@Toronto Maple Leafs

Sam Bennett crosscheck(s) on Michael Bunting – Have your say!



Sam Bennett crosschecked Michael Bunting in the head/neck, then proceeded to get him in the back while he was down. He got a two minute minor penalty. Tough Call will be reviewing the incident. Have your say!

45 Comments

  1. Cross checking needs to be completely removed from the game. Anytime you cross check should be a game misconduct and a $5,000 fine minimum per cross check

  2. Its definitely a penalty and its dirty its not suspend able in my mind, Bunting should have fought him.

  3. Okay I’m going to play devil’s advocate here: I’ve forgotten what happened “prior” to Bennett cross checking Bunting but I’m certain this factored into the non call. The NHL is a tough, win at all costs League. It’s not junior or European, it’s literally war on the ice. When an opposing player sits on top of the blue paint in front of the goalie, pretty well anything goes. Again, there’s a reason for the non call. Bunting apparently did something prior to this mugging.

  4. I guess the front office geezers who started in the 1990s think that nothing has changed and fans cannot see how regularly the zebras miss calls. No wonder hockey is losing ground to MLS and other sports apart from the big 3.

  5. Bunting should of gotten up after the first cross check but layed there like a baby.

  6. I’m a panthers fan….that second crosscheck is bad. Benny even looks around at the refs too…I bet it’s a fine. I personally don’t think it’s suspension worthy. Should have been 2 and a fine.

  7. Mark Stone got crosschecked the entire game by the Oilers and not one was called. He just came back from back surgery. The jackasses on SportsNet said it was fair game since a report came out about him leaving the ice during practice the prior day due to pain in his back. I have no sympathy for anyone after that. Deal with it. They are not going to call it.

  8. I think Bennett should be suspended for that and throwing knives out of the game clearly it was a tackle to the ice and may not be able to play in the series

  9. I think they see Bunting trying to draw a penalty or taking a dive and the whistle just goes away. Right or wrong that happens in playoff hockey, both the crosscheck and the dives. Personally I let the initial one go and clamp down on the secondary one.

  10. Saying this as a Florida Panthers fan. Do not like that one bit. Should've gotten a game. You can not hit people in the head and neck area like that — as the risk of catastrophic injury is too great. If someone did that to someone on the Panthers' roster — I would be livid at a $5000 fine.

  11. Bennett also takedown of Knies with a concussion. He has a history of malicious intent and suspension. He's a sleazy dirt bag and should be ejected for the rest of the season. NHL refs are complete idiots.

  12. Deliberate cross check to the head, major penalty and game misconduct, that could have easily ended his career with a fractured neck, its becoming a hack and slash bush league.

  13. Ya, a cross check, no Brainer. But I see this play not called ALL the time

  14. reminds me of the Borgen crosscheck to Makars neck in the first round (easily broke his stick over his neck). Also happened before the McCann check for all of you weirdos out there that still think that check was malicious or predatory and want to chalk that up to retaliation (it wasnt, Borgen is just a dirty player). Or the Borgen crosscheck to Helms neck also in the first round that resulted in injury that knocked Helm out for the rest of the playoffs… hopefully he is ALSO ok. Neither crosscheck was penalized, reviewed, fined or suspended. DPS is a joke

  15. No "tough call" here. Cheap shot to the neck and then one to the low back. The $5000 fine to NHL players is a joke. Suspensions are the answer to stopping these types of unnecessary plays.

  16. Hockey play. Two minutes, possibly double minor for cross checking, but nothing more. Guys have been paying the price like that in front of the net forever. Hockey is a physical sport. Definitely doesn’t warrant a suspension.

  17. The thing that you people don’t realize is that every Florida team gets treated like crap all the time because the sports network doesn’t like Florida so whenever we get a chance to do something we’re going to do it so I say fair play they want to play rough might as well. Let the Florida Panthers play rough as well.

  18. How does the best game in the world have the worst officials in the world…right from NHL head office down?

  19. I want Florida to win, but a win isn't respectable when one team is given reffing preference by Gary Bettman. This is becoming a similar situation to Vegas, where previously respectable guys are becoming dirty players knowing that they won't get called.

  20. If I’m the leafs I play Wayne Simmons for one shift Bennett is left bloodied after one shift

  21. As long as your a American team you get away with what ever you want it’s a joke start calling games the right way or fire all refs and bring in better ones that don’t let dirty players get away with cheap shots

  22. do they replay this for refs?? If not it has to be… what a joke, that's a multi game suspension easily!! Effin goon… his day will come!

  23. It’s a penalty but cmon Bunting get your ass up stop being soft😂 be like Rasmus Dahlin when he took the same crosscheck from Matthews 😂

  24. He took a mild shot to the head, went down on his own to try and sell it. You can even see him look up that’s when Bennett decided to shut him up.

Write A Comment