Cooke Monster

Remember when I declared Trevor Gillies Public Enemy Number 1 after his hit on Cal Clutterbuck the day he came off of his first suspension?  Hand over that hat and pass the salt because the real Public Enemy Number 1 has reclaimed his throne.  No, I'm not talking about Sean Avery, but rather, I'm talking about Matt Cooke.  Why is Cooke Public Enemy Number 1 again?  Here's Exhibit A:



This was from yesterday's game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New York Rangers, and you will notice Cooke elbow Ryan McDonagh.  A far more egregious hit than the one Gillies put on Clutterbuck, the NHL acted fairly quick and suspended Cooke for the remainder of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs.  That's ten games plus the four minimum in the first round.  Does the punishment fit the crime?  I don't think so because Cooke has had a more extensive rap sheet than Gillies, which means the suspension itself is only marginally more than the one Gillies got for the Clutterbuck hit.  If I was the Penguins, I would take the suspension a step further and suspend him for the entire playoffs, and it's not for the hit itself, but rather the fact that it began a Rangers rally that went from a 1-1 tie to a 5-2 Rangers win.  Cooke didn't just try to intentionally injure someone, he also cost his team momentum and put them in a hole that they couldn't climb out of, and that's where I think the hit hurts worst.  If the Penguins are wise, they would sit him for the entire playoffs.  They're already in a hole without Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, they don't need a self-inflicted headache to derail a potentially long playoff run.