How you answer that question will determine how you feel about Zdeno Chara's hit that knocked Max Pacioretty unconscious Tuesday night.
Pacioretty has a severe concussion, a non-displaced fracture of the fourth vertebra and a strong opinion about the play. He spoke with TSN's Bob McKenzie Wednesday night, and didn't hold back.
The Canadiens forward believes Chara was "trying to guide my head into the turnbuckle," adding that he was "disgusted" that the NHL didn't suspend the Bruins' defenseman.
"It wasn't a head shot like a lot of the head shots we see," Pacioretty told McKenzie. "But I felt he targeted my head into the turnbuckle."
In announcing that there would be no additional discipline, NHL senior vice president Mike Murphy said he "could not find any evidence to suggest that, beyond this being a correct call for interference, that Chara targeted the head of his opponent."
Case closed, right?
Not so fast. There has been uproar in Montreal that the police should investigate the hit and arrest Chara. Pacioretty's words won't help calm that situation down. If the playoffs were to begin Thursday, the Bruins would be facing the Habs in the first round. We can only imagine what the atmosphere in La Belle Province would be.
Not so belle, perhaps.
The Bruins cannot let the events of the past 48 hours change the way they play the game. They took over the division lead with an impressive seven-game winning streak forged by tough, physical hockey. They cannot back off from that.
They cannot repeat what happened in the 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs. The B's won a stirring Game 4 in Montreal to even the series at two wins apiece. Late in that game, Kyle McLaren hit Richard Zednik in the face — a hit that left Zednik injured and McLaren suspended.
There were near-riots in Montreal, as Canadiens fans screamed for criminal charges. Sound familiar?
Game 5 of the series was in Boston. The Bruins played one of their most timid games of the season, skating as though they were afraid to further inflame the Canadiens' passion. B's tough guy P.J. Stock didn't draw a single penalty minute in the contest after notching 17 PIMs in Game 4.
In the end, the B's rolled over and lost the game 2-1. They lost the series back in Montreal to cap off another frustrating end to a promising season.
Chara will be back on the ice when the puck drops Thursday night at the Garden. He and his teammates must stay focused on the hockey ahead and pay no attention to the games behind. The NHL is allowing them to do just that as they examined the video and saw no malicious intent. The Canadiens, their fans and the Montreal media saw plenty of it. Yet they have no say in the matter.
For the first time in his 15-year career, Chara is being called a dirty player. He's not. He cannot let those accusations affect him or his style of play. Both he and his team must move on and act as they do after every interference call — as though the hit never happened.
