Drumroll, Please...

So, I'm sure everyone has seen the hit by Andy Sutton on Pascal Dupuis by now, and they have their own opinions on it. If you haven't seen it, here's a link on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqNPG4EaN6w

Basically, near the end of the third period, Pascal Dupuis takes the puck in behind the Islanders' net, and Sutton plows him into the boards, knocking him out and drawing a substantial amount of blood. This was an awful hit, and Sutton knew it, expressing his concern for former teammate Dupuis and taking full responsibility for his actions. This, however, is definitely not enough to avoid a suspension from Colin Campbell.

Let's face it, this hit wasn't a great one. Sutton could have exercised a bit more restraint, and Dupuis definitely could have put himself into a better, less vulnerable position along the boards, and both of these together made for a bad situation. As Sutts, the Islanders, and fans wait for a verdict on a suspension from the league, I only hope that the Isles won't get too burned by not having him in the lineup; Sutton is a top 4 D on our team, after all. He gives our lineup much-needed size, can move the puck, and usually throws hits only when necessary and without drawing a penalty. This was somewhat out of character for him, but here's to hoping he's learned his lesson and won't hit when he sees the numbers right in front of him. And I don't think he will; he's not a dirty player. This was just a mistake on his part.

My verdict: Sutton gets around 3-5 games. Enough to alter the lineup for a while, but hopefully we won't miss him too much. Expect another post soon to follow up. And of course, all our concern goes to Pascal Dupuis for a quick recovery.