They don't call them the "Broad Street Bullies" for nothing, but the head shot laid on Buffalo Sabres' Chad Ruhwedel on Sunday night by Philadelphia's Zac Rinaldo went beyond even the Flyers' sordid days of infamy.
Rinaldo initiated contact with Ruhwedel at the four and a half minute mark of the third period of Philadelphia's 5-2 win over Buffalo, launching himself at the Sabres' defenseman who was playing a puck from the high point, catching Buffalo's rookie with an elbow to the jaw.
Rinaldo was assessed an intent-to-injure match penalty and immediately escorted from the ice by the officials while Ruhwedel was helped to the bench and then to the room, suffering from a concussion.
Replays clearly show Rinaldo's blades leaving the ice in an obvious attempt to target the defenseless Ruhwedel, drawing the ire of Sabres' bench boss Ted Nolan.
"Those are the type of hits that we have to get rid of. Those are not only dangerous hits but you're also putting a
fellow player in jeopardy of his career." Nolan said to reporters after the game. "Head injuries, concussions, we
all know how serious they are and we still have guys with flying elbows
going directly to the head."
Rinaldo is scheduled for a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety on Monday afternoon, and can most likely expect to have a few games off without pay for his goonish transgression, given that he's been called to the desk before, a fine for slew-footing and a suspension for charging within an eight-day period in 2012.
Luckily for Rinaldo and the Flyers - who with the two points gained by beating Buffalo is now just a point away from clinching a playoff berth - this infraction falls just outside of the 18 month period that would label Rinaldo a repeat offender within the scope of the NHL's safety rules - but those incidents will be taken into account when determining the length of the impending suspension.
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