What the Hecht?

Seems to be a lot of chatter today about the Tucker-Hecht tumble from last night’s Leafs game. After the game, during the media scrum, Lindy Ruff pulled a page out of Pat Quinn’s playbook and called on the league to suspend and fine Tucker.

I can’t offer much of a comment on the "hit" as the game was only available on Leafs TV and I refuse to give the Leafs an additional $2.49 a month, so I didn’t see it. (I’m not a cheap guy, but when you consider that the Leafs achieved an instant savings of $26 million through the collective bargaining agreement and then thanked fans with a 5% ticket roll-back - those $37 nosebleeds are now just $35! - I just can’t bring myself to put another $20 or so in MLSE’s coffers.)

A quick search of youtube didn’t turn up the footage (although it did turn up the strangest Pixies homage I've ever seen and further evidence that Titanica Rules!).

The on-line footage at TSN (free registration required) looks like it was either shot by one of Zapruder’s grandchildren or it’s a special-ed project using plasticine and stop-time animation. Perhaps this lack of quality footage explains some of the questionable disciplinary decisions that get handed down by the NHL.

In the absence of the Hecht-Tucker evidence, I'll offer up three quick thoughts on the Leafs shootout loss:
1) The Leafs are 3-6 in shootout games – considering there are approximately 3 shooters each time out the Leafs are actaully about 3 for 27. That’s like Mike James on a bad run. Isn’t it time for Quinn and Co. to consider sending out some different shooters?
2) What’s with the slow starts? Grandma Moses was quick out of the gate compared to this year's Leafs.
3) The shootout may be the most exciting play in sports but it really sucks on the radio.