Shanahan emphasized that because Lucic could read Rinaldo’s sweater number, he should have “avoided the hit completely, or minimized it.’’
“It [expletive] to sit out a game for an incident like this,’’ said Lucic, noting that he didn’t like the suspension but respected Shanahan’s decision. “For myself, it’s a good time to sit back and watch a game against our rivals and see how we do.’’
Lucic said he did “everything I can do’’ to try to hit Rinaldo’s shoulder and not hit him from behind.
“You can see his legs and body turn as he goes into the boards,’’ Lucic said. “If I hit him from behind, he would have gone [into the boards] head-first.’’
Lucic was suspended for one game during the 2009 playoffs when he used his glove and stick to smack then-Canadiens center Max Lapierre in the face after a stop in play. Now that he has been suspended for the Rinaldo hit, it’s highly likely that similar or more egregious hits will lead to suspensions of greater length for Lucic.
Rinaldo was not hurt on the play, which Shanahan indicated was a factor in his sentencing.
“I do everything in my power to keep it clean out there,’’ said Lucic, noting how the league has shown all players video on acceptable and non-acceptable hits. “I try my full-on best to follow those rules.’’
Much to the ire of Sabres fans and Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff, Miller was sidelined for days after being hit by Lucic when the goalie strayed far from his net to field a puck that entered his zone on Lucic’s wing. Lucic received a two-minute minor on the play and then received no discipline after Shanahan’s review.
Shanahan is attempting to clean up a game that in recent years has turned into seek-and-destroy hockey, leading to many concussions, some of which likely have ended careers (see: Marc Savard). Overall, Lucic said he believes Shanahan’s decisions are helping.
