Penguins Bylsma could be suspended because of ref O’Halloran’s incompetence

Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma has been suspended by the NHL pending review because Penguins enforcer Eric Godard left the bench during an altercation. An altercation that would have never taken place had NHL referee #13 Dan O’Halloran did his job.

A little over four minutes into the third period of last nights game the Islander’s Trevor Gillies skated all the way across the ice to purposefully deliver a flying elbow to the head of Eric Tangradi who by the way is most likely out with concussion like symptoms. This prompted AHL goon Micheal Haley who was already trying to instigate a fight with Max Talbot to drop the gloves and fight with Talbot. It is right after the fight that referee Dan O’Halloran dropped the ball.

Haley a noted goon who had already been in a fight this game, and just instigated a second one, gets left alone to keep fighting. In the video below you can see after the fight with Talbot, ref O’Halloran #13,  instead of ushering the AHL goon Haley, who has already been in two fights, off the ice, instead  just lets him go to fight again. This is incompetence on a major level and the NHL needs to reprimand O’Halloran before someone gets hurt. 

I don’t have the video, but later after the scrap between Godard, Haley and Johnson all the refs and linesmen are breaking up fights and ushering players off and O’Halloran stands there with his thump up his arse.

If O’Halloran did his job, Haley never goes after the Penguins goaltender and Godard never jumps the bench to protect his goaltender. It is that simple. The NHL needs to revoke the automatic suspension of Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma because of this and this alone.

The NHL also needs to look into reprimanding the Islanders management (if you can seriously call Garth Snow & crew that) for calling up goons just to play in this game.  The Islanders instigated the fighting before the game even started.

This all started when Islander goalie Rick Dipietro last week took a cheap whack at Matt Cooke then called on Penguins goaltender Johnson to fight.  Johnson knocked him out in 1 punch and stopped and then asked if Dipietro was alright.  Then last night the Islanders sucker punch and cheap shot the Pens all night.  The Islanders organization is truely a classless organization.

UPDATE:  NHL suspends Pittsburgh Penguins Eric Goddard 10 games (automatic suspension for leaving the bench during an altercation).  

*Coach Dan Bylsma did not get fined and the NHL revoked his suspension.

 Islanders suspensions and fines:   Trevor Gillies suspended 9 games.   Islanders Matt Martin suspended 4 games and the NHL fined Islanders $100k for brawl last night.