Let the debate rage all night on Matt Cooke's slicing of Karlsson's Achilles....... All I'll say is with Erik gone and Spezza gone, the rest of the year just got a lot tougher. Anderson better keep his sub 1.5 GAA..............
Gangrel wrote:Let the debate rage all night on Matt Cooke's slicing of Karlsson's Achilles....... All I'll say is with Erik gone and Spezza gone, the rest of the year just got a lot tougher. Anderson better keep his sub 1.5 GAA..............
I watched the play. Forget the name Matt Cooke for a second. I know this is a terrible blow for Sens fans but it was one of those hockey plays where Cooke tries to pin Karlsson against the boards and in doing so his skate cuts the swift D-man. I don't think there was an evil intention to injure in that play, you can call it careless for sure, but at that speed when two players go after the puck against the boards, you are basically fighting for it.
What OTT fans should be upset though, is at the zebras that should have blown the play dead prior to the incident as the puck hit the upper mesh.
A big blow for the Sens that started the season rather well until the recent injuries. With this type of laceration injuries, Karlsson will be gone for sure for the season, something similar to the injury Kevin Bieksa sustained a few years back where it was a miracle if a Canuck player didn't get hurt.
If it was anyone other than Matt Cooke, it would be dismissed immediately as not-dirty. It was a weird thing to happen, but I can't see that Cooke was thinking he'd cut Karlsson at all.
The only caveat is, what was Cooke's skate doing up there at all? It wasn't for his own balance--he intentionally raised and stuck out his skate to obstruct/impede/trip Karlsson as he rode him into the boards, which is on the edge of legality and had a terrible consequence here.
Naples39 wrote:The only caveat is, what was Cooke's skate doing up there at all? It wasn't for his own balance--he intentionally raised and stuck out his skate to obstruct/impede/trip Karlsson as he rode him into the boards, which is on the edge of legality and had a terrible consequence here.
Guys lift their skates all the time while trying to pin opponents against the boards. Aaron Ward did a fine job last night on TSN showing this as pretty common practice.
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
Yes, that seems to be the consensus here in town, and I have to agree with the guys on sports radio here..... There was no intent to injure. However, it was pretty reckless, and one has to wonder if it was a different player doing the hitting, would they have more sense to avoid doing it?
Also, should he be suspended? I am sure there's been cases of suspensions where someone gets injured, though not on purpose, but the player got suspended for the result, not the intent.
The point brought up was if it was Chris Neil who sliced up Crosby, Jason York on Twitter said he would probably get 10 games.......
Naples39 wrote:The only caveat is, what was Cooke's skate doing up there at all? It wasn't for his own balance--he intentionally raised and stuck out his skate to obstruct/impede/trip Karlsson as he rode him into the boards, which is on the edge of legality and had a terrible consequence here.
Guys lift their skates all the time while trying to pin opponents against the boards. Aaron Ward did a fine job last night on TSN showing this as pretty common practice.
I did see the TSN segment where Ward takes about it being common and subtle. FWIW, he only showed two clips where players are making a similar play, but the their boot is nowhere near as high as Cooke's. Cooke's skate blade is more than a foot off the ground, whereas in the 2 clips Ward selected, one skate gets up a few inches tops, and the other hardly leaves the ice at all.
I don't think Cooke had any intent to injure, and maybe this is not uncommon, but I am unconvinced that it wasn't a reckless use of his skate by Cooke.
Manny Malhotra is gone for the season as his eye is still causing him problems after his freaky accident a couple of years back and will be missed dearly especially in the face off circle. At 38, probably his career is coming to and end too wishing him all the best, a classy well respected guy in the league.
On the other hand Canucks are close to getting Ryan Kesler back this weekend as he's got clearance from the med staff. David Booth is still a few weeks away with a groin problem.
I watched PTI the other night and heard Mike Wilbon refer to Cooke as a Thug. Yes I'm from Pittsburgh. Cooke's skate was a little high but if you lookk at the replay and watched the game Cooke was looking to tie Karlson up while in the same motion protecting himself from taking an elbow to the head. These two were banging each other all game prior to the injury and Chris Neil had made chippier plays earlier twice on Letang. It's Pens-Sens hockey and that's the way these two clubs have played it with each other for sometime. Cooke had 3 minors all year.
Ovechkin leaves his feet all the time it's been commented on and he receives a charge for one out every five he gets away with. The refs don't call it. Players could take it into their own hands but they don't. Again part of the style of the game.
Leading me to my final point. Wilbon doesn't know squat about hockey and neither does ESPN. As annoying and dumb as Milbury, Roenick, and Jones are, they at least know hockey. ESPN should never be allowed to speak hockey as they turned their back on telecasts and they only provide negative exposure to hockey. I am grateful for NBCSports coverage of hockey along with the NHL network. Hockey is very much alive here in the USA much to the ignorance of ESPN.
BasketballJones wrote:Leading me to my final point. Wilbon doesn't know squat about hockey and neither does ESPN.
Two exceptions to that otherwise true rule: Steve Levy and John Buccigross. Everyone else at ESPN couldn't give two Carnival Cruise feces bags about hockey.
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
Judging NHL team announcers is like playing Pin The Tail on the Donkey.
Some teams have great, talented pairs. Ralph Strangis and Daryl Reaugh in Dallas. Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda in San Jose. Pat Foley and Eddie Olcyzk in Chicago. Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti for the Rangers.
Some teams have AWFUL pairs. John Kelly and Darren Pang in St. Louis. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin in Washington. Jack Edwards and Andy Brickley in Boston. Pete Weber and Terry Crisp in Nashville.
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
How can you talk announcers without talking about hall of famer Bob Miller and Jim fox, an absolute top notch unbiased pair as you'll ever see in any sport.
Jimmydeicide wrote:How can you talk announcers without talking about hall of famer Bob Miller and Jim fox, an absolute top notch unbiased pair as you'll ever see in any sport.
Miller is excellent. Fox does nothing for me. A master of the obvious.
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
Jimmydeicide wrote:Its "obvious " you know nothing!!!
OK, Homer.
But I'm not drinking the favorite team Kool-Aid with the Oilers. Kevin Quinn is a solid play-by-play man. Louie DeBrusk ranges between lousy and dreadful as a color analyst. Another master of the obvious.
"You know why I love boxers? I love them because they face fear. And they face it alone." - Nick Charles
"First on the throttle, last on the brakes." - @MotoGP Twitter signature
Danimal wrote:I'd say something about the Hawks again but then I would be reminded of their lack of depth.
Their are one caliente team for sure. Emery has played very well whenever he was called. Come Tuesday night, they'll be seeing their first loss in regulation time.