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Suspension verdicts leave Rangers “thoroughly perplexed”

John Tortorella

New York Rangers coach John Tortorella speaks with the media at NHL hockey training camp Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011 in Tarrytown N.Y. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

AP

If you hear a hockey fan unnaturally drop the phrase “thoroughly perplexed” into conversation on Monday, blame the New York Rangers. The team won’t appeal Carl Hagelin’s stiff three-game suspension for elbowing Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson, but they did call out Brendan Shanahan & Co. with this terse-yet-amusing statement:

The New York Rangers accept the NHL’s three-game suspension of Carl Hagelin and will not pursue an appeal. However, we are thoroughly perplexed in the ruling’s inconsistency with other supplementary discipline decisions that have been made throughout this season and during the playoffs. We will have no further comment on this decision.

Doesn’t that sort of sound like something John Tortorella would say 24 hours after the fact? (Note: the 24-minute version would be unprintable.)

One can deduce that the Rangers are upset with a perceived incongruity between Hagelin’s three-gamer and Matt Carkner’s single-game suspension for playing the steel drums on Brian Boyle’s head, yet you could expand the argument further.

Are you thoroughly perplexed by the decisions, too? Moreover, what are some of the other developments of the still-young playoffs that have you scratching you head? Let us know in the comments.

We might just have a new meme on our hands.