Carolina-Boston: Are the Hurricanes Classless After Game Five?

(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

I go into forum, after forum, after forum, and all I can find about Game Five is about how classless the Carolina Hurricanes team is. Here are a few comments I have found"

"Goodnight 'Canes fans. Your team is a bunch of classless punks who can't take a beat down. F them. See you in Game Six."

"Much like everyone else on this board, there goes all my respect for the Carolina Hurricanes, Scott Walker, and Maurice. What a pathetic way to try and catch an edge. Go Bruins!"

This season Carolina was 29th in the NHL in penalty minutes. A team that rarely even fights. But last night they needed to fuel some fire going home for Game Six. A game in which Boston was throwing the Carolina Hurricanes around at every corner, Carolina woke up in the third period and played hockey.

However, they played Broad Street Bully hockey.

It started actually in the end of the third period when Jussi Jokinen put a love tap to the ankle/leg of Zdeno Chara with his stick. Chara fell to the ice like a sack of potatoes.

Just logically, after watching this game. Eric Staal was thrown around by Zdeno all day. Zdeno manhandled the whole Canes team by himself. Yet little 5'11", 180 Jussi Jokinen gives Zdeno a slash and knocks him down.

When watching this game, I immediately thought it was diving. I still think it was embellishment, and I even think so after the referees obviously talked to Jussi about it, and no penalties after the "injury."

The Hurricanes and Bruins racked up 21 penalties and 67 minutes in the final period in Game Four.

Now moving forward and talking about Scott Walker.

Was it a sucker punch to Aaron Ward? No. A sucker punch you don't see coming. When you see Scott Walker's gloves go flying, shouldn't you expect fists to start flying as well?

Was it a cheap shot to Aaron Ward? Yes. It was a cheap shot, and anybody can agree on that, but Aaron Ward had it coming. He played physically the whole game, and when the Hurricanes are down 4-0, you have a target on your back. Not to mention you are sitting there grabbing and shoving Matt Cullen. He was in the eye sight of Scott Walker, and Walker took exception to it.

Scott Walker did get lucky, and avoided suspension in which many Bruins fans are "thrilled" about because Scott Walker will get "punished" now. In which I say good for the Bruins.

Carolina wasn't the NHL's second most disciplined team this year for nothing. The more the Bruins push Scott Walker, the more penalties they will assess, and lead to the Hurricanes going on the power play.

Seriously, if Boston even thinks about retaliating in this game, I don't expect the series to go to seven games. Boston needs to think smart and hard about the Scott Walker situation before they jump all over him in Game Six.

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