Carcillo Suspended Four Games, Should Flyers Do So Too?

PHILADELPHIA — Danny Carcillo has been suspended four games by the National Hockey League for a first period sucker punch of Washington Capitals’ Matt Bradley in Saturday night’s 8-2 loss, which resulted in 19 penalty minutes.

On the ensuing nine-minute power play, Washington went onto score three goals. The punch ultimately doomed the Flyers as we will never know how the game would have played out if it hadn’t have happened.

At the time of the fight, it was a tie game. The momentum was just shifting Philadelphia’s way in Peter Laviolette’s debut as head coach, one day after replacing John Stevens behind the bench.

Since the league took action against Carcillo for another classless act by a player with a bad reputation, you gotta wonder whether Laviolette should implement a suspension of his own to send a message to the team.

The 24-year-old Carcillo was looking like he was turning a corner in his career as it seemed like he was learning how to keep his emotions under control; however this cheapshot proves that he’s still the same old guy.

Philadelphia acquired him from the Coyotes at the trade deadline last season for Scottie Upshall in a salary dump move, but they described Carcillo as a guy who has good hands and a player they liked.

But everyone knew that he was a goon and nothing more. He led the entire league in penalty minutes, and he was coming to the team who led the league in PIM. Great fit, eh?

If Carcillo is going to continue to stunts like this, he doesn’t deserve to play for the Flyers. These kinds of things cost games, and that can’t be had. He needs to be taught a lesson, and Stevens wasn’t willing to do it.

Laviolette is a difficult coach to play for, and will not shy away from benching a player to make a point. Carcillo’s latest incident cost the Flyers two points, and that’s simply unacceptable.

While the likelihood of the Flyers taking action of their own against Carcillo is highly unlikely as it sounded like Holmgren didn’t agree with the suspension. Regardless, No. 13 will be sitting out the next four games.

For more Flyers' coverage, please go to my blog: Operation Orange Crush