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Versus crew slams Buffalo’s response to hit on Miller

Ryan Miller, Johnny Boychuk, Zdeno Chara

Players from the Boston Bruins, including Johnny Boychuk (55) and Zdeno Chara (33), scuffle with the Buffalo Sabres as Sabres goalie Ryan Miller (30) gets up after coming out of the net and being decked by the Bruins’ Milan Lucic (obscured) on a breakaway in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Boston, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011. Lucic was called for charging. The Bruins won 6-2. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

AP

Brendan Shanahan voiced his disapproval of the Buffalo Sabres’ verbal response to Milan Lucic’s hit on Ryan Miller, but what about the lack of in-game reaction? Keith Jones and Mike Milbury were all over the Sabres for their tepid response to a run on their goalie, both immediately after the check and as the game goes along.

If you ask me, the most interesting part of the video is the old footage, though. Jones rolls a clip that stretches back to 1987, when the (gasp) Sabres angrily responded to Bob Probert taking a shot at Tom Barrasso. A lot has been made about Buffalo’s lack of “personnel” to bring “justice” to Lucic, but the clip features an ingenious response to that line of reasoning. After all, Probert ranks as one of the most featured enforcers of all-time, so if you can respond to him, couldn’t you do the same to Lucic?

(Not saying it’s the exact same situation, but this is interesting food for thought ...)