Re: SCSU Season Thread 2-Do We Hate Everybody as Much as They Hate Us?
This hit and checking from behind are two different things. Just about all of the SCSU fans agree that the Genoway hit, from behind, was dirty and warranted a longer suspension than he received, and on a personal level I'm a little disappointed that Motzko didn't suspend Marvin himself for additional game.
There is no penalty for checking from the side or checking the unsuspecting. Whether or not Geoffrion saw it coming has nothing to do with anything, no hockey player is going to say to himself "I better not check this guy because he's not looking at me." Since Marvin hit him in the head, intentional or not, there should have been at least at minor penalty called, and it seems to me that most SCSU fans here also wouldn't have any problem with that either. However, I see no malice in the hit on Geoffrion. If the pass had been on Geoffrion's stick, he likely would have kept skating a touch faster with his head up and Marvin would have hit him in the shoulder and Geoffrion's head would not have snapped back. With the puck in his skates, it appears to me, he slows down just a tick and puts his head down, with throws the timing of Marvin's check off just enough to, unfortunately, cause damage. You lead with your shoulder in any "collision" sport football, hockey, rugby, etc...so that is inconsequential, and that play happened so fast that if Marvin was aiming for Geoffrion's shoulder and missed (which, again, is Marvin's fault and cause for at least a minor penalty, but not, to me, a suspension) he wouldn't have had time to think to himself "uh-oh, I'm about to hit his head, not his shoulder, I'd better let up." I certainly wish it hadn't have happened and I really hope Geoffrion makes a speedy recovery, but what I take from the video is a case of unfortunate timing, not malicious intent.
