Can Matt Cooke ever learn his lesson?
Cooke has already been suspended once this season after a board on Fedor Tyutin of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Once he received a four-game ban, head coach Dan Bylsma spoke to Cooke and told him that he has to change his game.
I don’t pretend to know the specifics of Bylsma’s message, but whatever he said did not stick.
In Sunday’s game, Cooke elbowed New York Rangers rookie Ryan McDonagh in the head. He was given a five-minute penalty and a game misconduct, which allowed the Rangers to take over and secure a 5-2 victory.
Bylsma condemned Cooke for the hit, which put the team in a bad spot in a divisional game and embarrassed a Penguins organization that has been very vocal about removing head shots from the game, or at least implementing harsher penalties for players who engage in such actions.
This afternoon, the NHL announced that Cooke will be suspended for the rest of the regular season and the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Penguins general manager Ray Shero came out with a strong statement after the decision was handed down. He stated that ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Alison Myers
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