The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

A deliberate hit to the head, a repeat offender, a player who may not play again in the Stanley Cup Finals. Chris Pronger, you are not playing Monday for game 4.

I'm starting to get more and more sick of Pronger's act. Morons like Pierre Maguire like to use his 6"6 frame as an excuse, but I don't recall even taller players like Zdeno Chara ever getting disciplined by the NHL. This is the seventh time he has been suspended, and although many Sens fans are probably happy their team doesn't have to face one of the best defensemen in the NHL, losing Dean McAmmond for what will hopefully be just a short while is a blow for the Senators. He has played his best hockey in the playoffs, killing penalties and adding five goals in 18 games (including last night's game winner): not too shabby for a fourth liner. He will be missed, and let's cross our fingers for a quick return.

This will not be an automatic win for Ottawa tomorrow night with Pronger out of the lineup. The Ducks managed to beat the Red Wings after Pronger's first suspension for the Holmstrom hit, so their defense are more than capable of stepping up in his absence.

This will hopefully present an opportunity, though, for the Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson line to generate some offense as they have yet to be a factor in this series. Secondary scoring propelled Ottawa's victory last night, so hopefully they can regain some confidence tomorrow night and put some pucks behind Giguere before Pronger returns for game 5.