Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith has been suspended a total of six games for his high-stick hit on Minnesota Wild player Charlie Coyle in Tuesday night's game. In the game, Keith swung his stick in a way that hit Coyle right in the nose and resulted in a match penalty.
Although Keith was offered an in-person hearing, he declined it and instead had an over-the-phone hearing. Keith probably should've chosen the in-person hearing.
Keith had been suspended twice already in his career, five for an elbow against Canucks forward Daniel Sedin in 2012 and one for high-sticking Kings forward Jeff Carter in 2013.
Keith will miss the last four remaining games of the regular season for the Blackhawks and Game 1 of the playoffs, which begin on April 13.
The Blackhawks have been a bit dreadful of late and it seems like Keith was trying to get his team hyped up and back in the game, but it didn't go the way he wanted it to.
According to what PTI's Tony Kornheiser and ESPN the Magazine's Pablo Torre reported, Keith used his stick in an ax-like way, which totally makes me believe that 6 games is the right punishment. Using the stick like an ax is definitely not the right thing to do and I'm glad he was tossed right then and there. I like the Blackhawks because of their recent success in the playoffs and winning the Stanley Cup but I don't like them in the fact that sometimes in order to get up for games, they have to attack other players in a way that makes it vicious. The punishment definitely fits the crime. I could've gone even seven or eight games as a result of this, but six games is absolutely fair as well. You have to punish a hit like that. I understand Keith wants to do whatever he can to get his team going, but taking it out on Coyle in the way that he did will be something that could cost his team come playoff time.
Unfortunately, the last four games don't really matter, and Game 1 can easily be forgotten if the Blackhawks win it. But Keith has to learn his actions from this hit. It will cost you big, and ultimately it did. Now the Blackhawks will have to figure out what to do now and if they can finish out the season strong and win Game 1 without him. It will be a tough pill to swallow, but being the Blackhawks, they'll probably find a way to overcome his absence.
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