Tampa's Corey Perry breaks hockey's code for fighting, sucker punches Michael Bunting after refs step in
Corey Perry was responsible for a cowardly display on the ice last night during the Leafs' 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Perry is one of the game's top agitators, but this time, however, he was forced to answer for his actions.
Already having cost his team a goal by interfering with Joseph Woll, Perry threw a nasty cross check on an unsuspecting Michael Bunting as he skated through the neutral zone. Bunting stood up and, after winding up and thinking about swinging his stick at Perry, he instead opted to drop the gloves with the veteran pest before thebofficials arrived to break things up.
The fight appeared to be over until Perry, who waited until the referees had a hold of Bunting to emerge from his turtle shell, landing 3 or 4 cheap shots on Bunting, who was being restrained by the officials. The unwritten rule is that the fight is over when the officials intervene. Clearly, Perry has no interest in following hockey's code.
I'd be lying if I said I was surprised by Perry's actions. He is and always has been a player who often plays on the wrong side of the line. The Leafs know there's a 7-game war on the horizon. This is some good whiteboard material for the Buds. In what was supposed to be a nothing game, Perry engaging in gutless behaviour like this, trying to injury Bunting, is not surprising and I hope he pays the price for it in the playoffs.
| POLL | ||
12 AVRIL | 227 ANSWERS Tampa's Corey Perry breaks hockey's code for fighting, sucker punches Michael Bunting after refs step in Was this play by Corey Perry acceptable, or does it go against the code? | ||
| It's fine. Hockey is becoming too soft | 16 | 7 % |
| It's gutless behaviour | 154 | 67.8 % |
| He crossed a line, but not by much | 43 | 18.9 % |
| It's just playoff hockey! | 14 | 6.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
