Sheldon Souray Defends Saku Koivu

Our video of the day is a clip from the Thursday night game between Montreal and Pittsburgh. At one point, Colby Armstrong of the Penguins laid out Habs captain Saku Koivu with a massive hit. The hit was clean, but an unwritten rule in hockey says you do not hit the opposing team's star players like that. If a Hab had nailed Sidney Crosby in a similar fashion, you know the Penguins would have defended him. That is the way hockey has been played since the early days.

Luckily, Sheldon Souray is a team player. He did not hesitate to defend his captain and teammate Saku Koivu. This is an important part of hockey. You let the other team know that if they are going to nail one of your star players, they will pay the price!

On the other hand, Christopher Higgins and Michael "Easy" Ryder just skated away from Armstrong. Not even a little Sherwood tap or some harsh words for the guy. They just went about as nothing had happened. That to me is very disappointing. When your line mates do not defend you, there is a problem. Next time Higgins or Ryder gets nailed, I honestly hope nobody comes to their defense.

Link: Sheldon Souray Defends Saku Koivu (YouTube)