This is what I posted on SabreSpace. I need to run up my post count over here. I'm starting to feel inadequate.
Nichol has at least two suspensions in the past. That should weigh in when the verdict comes down. As someone else said, I think they make an example out him...mostly due to the fact that he's a borderline NHL player and the penalty will be compared to Carmello Anthony's, who actually is a star.
As for what Spacek did, until the new rules came about, that's textbook (We called it the canopener, they call it interference now ). You get your stick down between his legs and take away his lateral movement. Is it dangerous when someone's crashing like that. Yeah, but my job as a d-man is to prevent him from playing the puck, not to worry whether we're going into the post. I've also seen on some other boards that Spacek should have road him away from the post. It's true, you can leverage and ride a guy out of the play pretty easily if you've got him hogtied, but for the most part you would have to push him out of the play. In this case (at the speeds they were going) Spacek couldn't ride him off, as he would have went right into Marty. Also, maybe my technique sucks, but I've never been able to pull someone out of the play with my stick (unless I have a leg behind his, but that's another story). The stick is there to keep his leg movement limited, it's the body on body that's riding the guy out of the play.
If I was Nichol, I would have been pissed to, but it doesn't change the fact that he jacked a guy who wasn't looking. What makes it even worse in my opinion is that he grabs Spacek by the back of the yoke and "pulls" him into the punch. To me, that says he's not giving Jaro an opportunity to get set.
Does Jaro need to be more aware. Sure does. Taking Nichol's past history into account, you need to know who you're taking out of the play. Even in rec leagues, I make it a point to be aware when the other team's hotheads are out on the ice. Either to draw them into a penalty or to watch out for my own @ss.