David Perron received a heavy six-game suspension Monday for his double failure in front of Artem Zub.
This sanction is too severe in the eyes of our colleagues Guillaume Latendresse and Maxim Lapierre. See their opinion in the video above.
“Before suspending a player, we always look at the intention. Knowing David, who has been in the National League for a long time, he had no intention of hurting Zub. The shot didn’t go where he wanted it to. I think it’s a severe suspension,” said Latendresse during the first intermission of the game between the Islanders and Maple Leafs, presented on TVA Sports.
Lapierre shares the same opinion. “I’m surprised to see such a long suspension. Like Guillaume, I think it’s a bit harsh. What Perron did is not trivial, but in the past there have been head shots that were punished with less severity.
A new standard?
The two great friends, however, would have no problem if such a sanction became the norm.
“If we want to set a new standard, all the better, we should continue like this,” declared Lapierre.
“If we maintain this consistency throughout the season, I have no problems. Players must be responsible,” corroborated Latendresse.
The events involving Perron and Zub occurred on Saturday in Detroit. At the start of the match between the Red Wings and the Senators, Dylan Larkin fell to the ground after contact with Mathieu Joseph and Parker Kelly.
In the midst of the action, Perron saw red and attacked Zub. He checked the Russian’s head twice, with the intention of causing an injury, decided the NHL.
Immediately after his dangerous gesture, the Quebecer was ejected from the game by the referees and his team had to serve a five-minute penalty. Watch the sequence in question again here: