As a Sens fan, I may not have the most objective view, but some of the reaction of the Habs fans has been absolutely insane:
If the Torres hit last year was 25 games I'd like to see this be 8-12 given Gryba has so suspension history.I watched the replay over and over in frame by frame HD - Something about it, even in real time, just did not look as bad as the obviously concerning outcome. First let me say that I sincerely hope Eller is okay and makes a fast recovery. He is a talented and fun player to watch, and will be missed for now.
— Ben Dugas (@bendu) May 3, 2013
What I saw was a good read by Gryba to identify that Diaz' pass was there to be picked off. As Eller received the puck, Gryba adjusted his position to initiate contact. By the time he had reached this point there was no turning back - The two were on course to collide, and Eller was in a terribly vulnerable position. Could Gryba have backed off? I think if he had, he would have ended up out of position, and as contact was inevitable at this point, would likely have been called for tripping or kneeing if he tried to pull out.
Points to consider:
- The 5 minute major was a call made on the basis of the outcome - If Neil had have been face down bleeding on the ice after the Subban hit, you bet the same call would have been made in reaction, even though it wasn't a charge, interference, or an elbow. Both plays happened in a split second, and refs aren't perfect.
- There was contact with the head, but slowing down the replay, it truly looks like the shoulder-to-head contact was secondary to contact at the hips and shoulders - keeping in mind that all of it happened in a split second. The size difference between the 2 players, and the way Eller was turning as the contact occurred led to the glancing blow that can often be concussion inducing.
- Watch Gryba's path - He has eyes on the puck, and does not go out of his way to target the head. He hits a player with the puck, not late and not early.
- The injury to Eller looked like it was largely exacerbated by the way his face hit the ice afterwards, so it would be hard to attribute it to the contact itself.
I think this was an unfortunate accident that resulted from a legitimate hockey play. I don't think any additional discipline will result. It is yet to be determined if the police will launch an investigation a la Zdeno Chara, but if so the first suspect might be the Bell Centre ice.
Comment and vote in the poll to let me know your opinion!
Warning: Watch with discretion if blood makes you squeamish.
Thanks to @shanessm for the image below:
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