Commentary: Old Time Hockey

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We’re about to find out if there actually is a difference between the regular season and playoffs, as far as the rules go.

Last night’s Fight Night here in Sunrise – where 146 penalty minutes were handed out in the third period alone of a 6-1 Panthers win over the Bruins – is the talk of the sports world today.

Well, that and the Vancouver Canucks stunning 5-4 win over Edmonton in Game 1.

But back to Florida-Boston.

Former NHL referee Tim Peel came on the RP Show at the outset of the playoffs and said Commissioner Gary Bettman laid down the edict the morning of Game 1 on a conference call with the refs:

“Call everything.”

And I think we can agree, that’s what they’ve done.

Honestly what happened Wednesday night in Game 2 between the Panthers and Bruins wasn’t anything knew. The game got out of hand, and the Bruins started stuff.

Had the shoe been on the other foot, the Panthers would’ve done the same.

Human nature doesn’t change.

But it’s the Matthew Tkachuk-David Pastrnak fight that really has everybody buzzing.

For whatever reason, the two met at centre ice and went toe-to-toe but before long, Tkachuk cleaned his clock.

Analyst Bruce Boudreau of NHL Network said afterwards, “Tkachuk hit him when he was done, then he hits him again. That’s a little over the line. Coming off the bench to start a fight — there’s a rule against that!”

In the regular season, they’d probably throw the book at him. But now it’s playoffs, and Tkachuk is a face of the League.

Maybe there are different rules for everybody.

That’s today’s Rod Pedersen Commentary

(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm & 5 pm ET on Game+TV, WQEE Radio, Podcast & YouTube Live)