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AP: bc8fad4c-93b8-4e46-a4fc-0945d5c2e492
Phoenix Coyotes' Michal Rozsival, of the Czech Republic, stays injured on the ice after being hit in overtime during Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Kings Tuesday, May 22, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. The Kings defeated the Coyotes 4-3, and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Moments before Dustin Penner beat Mike Smith for the series-clinching goal that sent the Los Angeles Kings to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Phoenix Coyotes were disconcerted.

First, they were unraveled by an injury to Michal Rozsival that sent the Coyotes defenseman straight to the dressing room late in the overtime period.

Secondly, they were visibly upset that no penalty was called on the play. Rozsival attempted to bring the puck into the Los Angeles zone but the play was whistled offsides. Clearly after the whistle blew, Kings' captain Dustin Brown leveled Rozsival with a knee-to-knee hit drew gasps from the crowd and started a minor fracas on the ice.

Just twelve seconds later, Penner hammered the last nail into the Coyotes' postseason coffin.

The Coyotes didn't hold back from letting their feelings known during the post-series handshake or the locker room when talking to media.

"How do you miss that," Phoenix captain Shane Doan asked. "Rosey's knee is blown out. How do you miss that? How do you miss that when it's after the whistle and it's a knee? How do you possibly miss that?"

Doan wasn't the only one who felt that way.

"When Brown gets away with something like that after the whistle, knee on knee, that's a dangerous play," goalie Mike Smith said. "If Raffi Torres gets 25 games for his hit during the play, this guy should be done forever."

Strong words indeed, but is anybody listening?

That answer clearly is 'no'. Not only will Brown not face a suspension from the NHL and their chief of discipline, Brendan Shanahan, but there won't even be a hearing on the matter.

It's almost like the NHL is saying, "move along, nothing to see here."

Although it's far from a guarantee, a penalty could very well have changed the dynamic of Game 5 and possibly the rest of the series.

It's this kind of inconsistency when reviewing questionable plays and handing out suspensions that has fans frustrated with the current system in the NHL.

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    rlmom wrote...
    Brown/Rozsival Collision
    There's no reason they should suspend Brown. They collided right as the whistle is blown - watch the video. There's absolutely no way he could have pulled back. And if there was time, why didn't Rozsival move out of the way? Cuz there wasn't time. If you want "obvious" calls to be made you need to accept when true non-penalties aren't called either. It might not be pretty and you might not like it, but it's the right decision for this play. The Yotes played a great game, as did the Kings.
  • Abuse
    Gunpowdermassive wrote...
    Boo hoo.
    Listening to Doan talk about anyone else playing dirty is making my head spin out of control. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Even if it had actually been knee on knee rather than thigh on thigh, which is what it was, Doan's not the man to talk about some systemic problem with officiating. And really, what kind of sophomoric speculation is that for a reporter to make? Please. How about, "It's far from a guarantee, but if Mike Smith had been properly penalized for what was an obvious attempt to injure Dustin Brown in game 2, I wouldn't even be writing this ridiculous article."
  • Abuse
    Wanabeafan wrote...
    The Fix is on
    Big Sports Big Money...... The league will put in the teams with the biggest markets for the TV Revenue. You already know who's gonna be in it. NY and LA ( Big Markets, Big Money ) All the other sports are the same. Referee's probably get perks for making things happen at just the right time to influence the out come of these games. Yep, The Fix has been on for a long time. Somewhere in a smoke filled room rich men laugh and count stacks of dough.
  • Abuse
    kk164 wrote...
    The Whining Continues...
    It would appear that the Pheonix species of coyote doesn't howl, it simply whines.
  • Abuse
    kenski24 wrote...
    Terribly Biased
    Why would you write such a biased article? This is such a "homer" account of the incident. I watched the game live with announcers Darren Pang, Dave Strader, and Brian Engblom (sitting inside the glass). I wasn't at the game, but all three announcers agreed that it was a good non-call. And I think I'll take their word for it. Obvious frustration showed from a team playing down three games to one. [continued..]
  • Abuse
    kenski24 wrote...
    Terribly Biased cont..
    This trickled down to the fans who threw trash down on the ice after the end of the game. I've now lost a little bit of respect for Doan, the city of Phoenix, and its fans. And now this article gets written adding fuel to the fire. What's the point of this? You're only creating further animosity. How about an accurate, unbiased account of the situation after reviewing the video? In a sport that's trying so hard to tighten the reins on violence, this is the type of article that sets back years of hard work by Brendan Shanahan.
  • Abuse
    Wanabeafan wrote...
    KK164
    You spelled species right. You'll need to work on PHOENIX.
  • Abuse
    Rassam wrote...
    Knee to Knee hits always get penalty calls
    That's the frustrating part. Doan was right, how do they miss that? It does not matter that Brown did not "stick out his knee", he still did it. You can get a high sticking call if you do not control your stick. And now, not even a hearing? Brown is too big a star to miss the finals!
  • Abuse
    ddak wrote...
    bias shows through
    It's a shame that Rozsival was injured but I did not see a callable penalty. I think Mr. Marotta is letting his home town bias show by reporting in such an inflammatory manner.
  • Abuse
    jeffr555 wrote...
    No Suspension deserved
    Rassam, I think a penalty should have been called for elbowing on the play. However, no suspension. The hit was thigh on thigh (watch the replay). The hit was after the whistle, but it was as the whistle was being blown. No opportunity existed for either to avoid contact. When I saw it live (and after watching the replay) I said it should have been a 2 minute elbowing call.
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