Much has been made of Brandon Dubinsky’s retaliation towards New Jersey defenseman Anton Volchenkov’s hit on Tuesday. Cutting into the offensive zone with the puck, Dubinsky was met hard by Volchenkov, sending the Columbus forward to the ice with a clean bodycheck. You often find the player slowly get back to their feet and shuffle to their bench in order to catch their breath, or a teammate come flying in to the aid of the recently adjusted player (those who are fans of EA Sports NHL14 know what I’m talking about). In this instance, Dubinsky took matters into his own hands.
Quickly getting to his feet, and apparently taking Volchenkov by surprise despite both players being face to face, Dubi grappled and hauled him to the ice, sending a few swings toward the ‘helpless’ defender. Some are making claims that Volchenkov was sucker punched or blindsided, yet if you watch the replay, it is pretty apparent that Dubinsky was the only one that didn’t see a hit coming during that play. Dubinsky was given a two minute minor for roughing which was entirely fair, and the right call to make in that case.
Now, I don’t necessarily condone players attacking their opponents, but I do condone players standing up for themselves. If someone takes a liberty, I would hope that we as fans are able to see the return of ‘not tonight, not against me or my team’ in response. In this case, Dubinsky sent that message loud and clear to the New Jersey bench, along with Boll shortly thereafter with a great clean hit on Volchenkov. Both decisions seemed to help maintain the momentum, which was firmly planted in Columbus’ favor.
To Dubinsky as a player, he is everything I was hoping for after the trade. He is on pace for 18 goals (I hoped for a 20 goal pace as he has accomplished before), nearly on pace for fifty points, high tempo on ice, and going to the hard areas of all zones without hesitation. He can play on both sides of the puck, in all situations, and is about as reliable as they come (fancy stats often look very good for him). Hearing commentary that this decision smears his campaign as the next team captain shocks me. Players get emotional on the ice, and there’s no doubt that a good captain is one that spends more time playing the game than watching it. That said, there are certain situations where a fight or a hit can change the momentum of a hockey game, and we saw a prime example of that Tuesday when he made it clear that no liberties would come without paying a price.
Many of the great captains step into the grit here and there. Nothing says excitement like watching guys like Getzlaf, Iginla, and Lecavalier throw down the gloves with one another. It shows heart, passion for the franchise, and proves that they are invested in the success of the team. Should Dubinsky be exempt from this endless battle of who should captain the Columbus Blue Jackets based on his actions Tuesday? If anything, I think he moved up a notch after the game against New Jersey.
There are various types of captains in the NHL, some are characterized by being vocal leaders, and there are those who lead by example. Sometimes you get a real bonus with players who are the total package, but my favourite are always the captains who take losing personally. If you consider the commentary from Dubinsky, his endless effort on the ice to be one of the hardest working Columbus players each and every game, and his apparent communication with the team off the ice, I would tend to think you have the makings of a solid captain. It has been an awful long time since we have seen a captain of this hockey team get so emotionally invested in winning that it bleeds over into the media.
It may not be for everyone, but I am a huge fan of clarity through interviews. If the “C” were on his chest against Toronto tomorrow, I would be nothing but pleased about it.
Carry the Flag!
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