Perry holds off Weir
Kenny Perry closed with a 3-under 69 to win the Memorial with Mike Weir finishing second
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LaBarbera makes winning debutFormer Kings goaltender has 31 saves as Canucks edge Predators in Nashville Full text |
Kenny Perry closed with a 3-under 69 to win the Memorial with Mike Weir finishing second
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On the men's side, Djokovic and Nadal both advanced while Nestor and his partner Zimonjic reached the doubles quarter-finals
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MONTREAL — Pesky Ottawa Senators forward Jarkko Ruutu provoked the Bell Centre's full vocal fury when he left the ice waving and smiling to booing fans after earning a misconduct penalty in the third period of a loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.
But Habs fans will rejoice in the knowledge Ruutu must sit out the next two games as punishment for elbowing Montreal's Maxim Lapierre in the head.
The NHL levied the suspension against Ruutu after a teleconference with league disciplinarian Colin Campbell. It will cost the Ottawa winger $13,000 (U.S.) in salary.
The sanction is the latest in a string of suspensions as part of the league's continuing effort to crack down on head shots.
Senators general manager Bryan Murray was dismayed by the verdict, which will deprive his team of much-needed grit in a home-and-home series against the New York Islanders later this week.
"[We're] disappointed that it is two games, but obviously the NHL have set a very high standard for a hit like this, that I felt deflected off the shoulder to the head," Murray said. "Especially for a player with no history of suspensions, no history of even being called in front of the league. But we do have to abide by what is called. And obviously going forward we know now that this is the standard for anybody that gets hit in the head area."
As for Ruutu, who is as personable off the ice as he is detestable to opponents on it, the suspension "is what it is."
His intent was to hit Lapierre cleanly, he said, not to elbow him, and certainly not to injure him.
"I have to live with it. Like I said, I had no intention to do it, but accidents will happen and I'll have to deal with the consequences," he said.
Lapierre shrugged off the hit after the game, saying he wasn't injured or feeling woozy, and that "what matters is we won."
But others in the Canadiens room were feeling less charitable toward the Senators' Finnish pest — who was jawing with Lapierre at the Canadiens bench when he was slapped with the misconduct penalty.
"I thought it was a deliberate blow to the head. We all know what kind of player he is, so I think I'll just leave it at that," Montreal head coach Guy Carbonneau said before Campbell's decision was announced.
Carbonneau has been a vocal critic of blows to the head and reckless play this season, and has called on the league to do more to protect its players.
The incident happened in the early part of the third period. As Lapierre gathered a puck near the boards in the neutral zone, Ruutu flew in for a check and caught the gritty Canadiens centre on the side of the face with an elbow. Ruutu was assessed a two-minute penalty for charging.
The hit sparked a brief melee during which Ruutu dropped the gloves with defenceman Francis Bouillon.
Campbell's been busy dealing with Northeast Division miscreants this week: on Monday he also suspended Montreal's Tom Kostopoulos for a hit from behind on Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Mike Van Ryn, who suffered a concussion, broken teeth and a smashed nose.