This has to stop

*Thanks to Boston Globe for image*

Bruins watched as their playoff chances were carried off the ice last night in a stretcher. Late in the third period, during a 2-1 game, Marc Savard took an absolute cheap shot to the head while shooting from the top of the slot from Penguins Matt Cooke. As you can see from the video (bottom of the article) notorious scum-bag Cooke, leans his shoulder into the head Savard while he is sliding backwards in the slot, well after the shot had been taken. Cooke received no penalty for the hit.

Let me emphasize my point: THERE HAS TO BE AN END TO HITS LIKE THIS.

This will most certainly be a pressing topic at the NHL's 30 general managers meeting this week. But most likely the rule on headshots and concussions wont be altered until next season, if at all.

OK, I understand that if a rule against blind-side hits is established then players would find a way to exploit it. But take into account those who are protected versus those who would suffer from the rule. This would diminish the role of the enforcer on the ice, the most despicable player on the team. Sure, there might be few more suspensions thrown around, but it would absolutely decrease the amount of pointless injuries from cheap shots as well as create a much needed guideline for what is acceptable in the NHL.

Bruins head coach, Claude Julien, wants serious action taken against Cooke:

(From Bruins Blog)
A guy like that has to be suspended. That's the way I see it, because it's an elbow to the head from the blind side. That's exactly the examples they show of what we've got to get out of this game. We have a guy who's got a concussion. Our best player. He's going to be out for a while. He was [unconscious] on the ice for a bit. That's unacceptable.

NHL officials are expected to have their opinion announced by this afternoon.