NHL 2010/2011 Season

[XXXIV]

No, they way both leagues have avoided taking responsibility for the long term health of their players' brains is very similar.

Ya its true in that way....

I just cringe when I see some of the stuff that there is just NO reason for going on night after night. I really think they are waiting for a death or other permanent injury.

[10spro]

First win of the year for 'Nucks backup keeper C. Schneider. The red head was solid stopping 32 shots and looked very comfortable taking Luongo's net.

[Naples39]

Well this is pretty much the exact play the new rule is supposed to address. Interesting to see what happens. (no penalty was given on the play)

[10spro]

Gotta love the San Jose Mercury News quoting that 'Joe Thornton takes a pay cut to stay with Sharks'. So I checked his new contract and Jumbo Joe will be making only 7 million next season down from the 7.2 million salary he's making this year.

[pk500]

Well this is pretty much the exact play the new rule is supposed to address. Interesting to see what happens. (no penalty was given on the play)

How is that blind side when Doan's shoulder hit Sexton's chin from the front? It looks like Doan approached Sexton from the side and then curled in front of him at the last second to plant his shoulder in Sexton's chin.

If the NHL is serious about all hits to the head, then Doan should be suspended. But under the toothless, revised blind side hit rules issued by the league this summer, that's a clean hit.

Insane, but true.

[pk500]

Doan got three games for a frontal hit. Meanwhile, Hjalmarsson got two games for tattooing Pominville from behind. Wisniewski got two games for mimicking a blowjob.

The NHL's justice system is f*cked up beyond belief. The entire league loses what few strands of credibility it has outside of Canada with decisions like this.

[10spro]

I was surprised that Doan got a 3 games suspension. He's not a dirty player. Yes, we all know that the league is lame in getting the right amount of games for a specific crime, but based on today's ruling, Hjalmarsson got off easy.

[Naples39]

Wow I completely disagree. The Doan hit was from the front?


The approach angle was essentially identical for the Doan hit and the Richards hit on Booth last year. Didn't we all agree that the Richards hit last year was a play that needed to be addressed? The only difference I can discern between the two plays is the extent of injury. Both plays you have a player getting rid of the puck, a defender approaches at the same exact angle and delivers a shoulder to chin shot. On both plays the checker's back skate is even with the puck carriers front skate as the checker thrusts himself into the puck carrier. If anything, on the Richards hit, Richards skates were maybe 6 inches further ahead of Booth than in the Doan hit.

Take away the jersey colors and mirror the images and it would be difficult to tell one hit from the other.

I also completely disagree that a player's rep as a dirty player should have any bearing on the punishment received. Punishment should match the crime, whether it's a weasel like Cooke or Kaleta or Pavel Datsyuk.

Lastly, Hjalmarsson's hit is apples to oranges. The new rule explicitly addresses hits with a principal point of contact to the head, which Hjalmarsson's hit plainly was not. Maybe he should've been punished more severely, but it's a different play.

[10spro]

The new rule explicitly addresses hits with a principal point of contact to the head, which Hjalmarsson's hit plainly was not. Maybe he should've been punished more severely, but it's a different play.

A grey area that's going to bring serious consequences. So you push a guy severely into the boards, where his head is vulnerable but you shouldn't be punished as sternly because head contact was not initiated? I don't buy it.

[Feanor]

There's already rules and precedent for suspending players for shoving players into the boards, e.g. Randy Jones.

[Naples39]

The new rule explicitly addresses hits with a principal point of contact to the head, which Hjalmarsson's hit plainly was not. Maybe he should've been punished more severely, but it's a different play.

A grey area that's going to bring serious consequences. So you push a guy severely into the boards, where his head is vulnerable but you shouldn't be punished as sternly because head contact was not initiated? I don't buy it.

I'm not saying it's not worthy of serious punishment, I'm just saying it doesn't come under purview of the new rule.

As Feanor pointed out, there's already rules against boarding.

[pk500]

Your vidcaps show two things: Richards clearly came from behind; Doan came from the side. Does the blind side cover a player's periphery, too? I ask that question sincerely.

I also completely disagree that a player's rep as a dirty player should have any bearing on the punishment received. Punishment should match the crime, whether it's a weasel like Cooke or Kaleta or Pavel Datsyuk.

Agree wholeheartedly. Selective enforcement only encourages momentary lapses of reason from players with a thin disciplinary jacket, like Doan.

[ScoopBrady]

No way Hjalms should have only gotten 2 games for that hit. I know he's not a dirty player and I'm pretty sure he'd take it back if he could but the fact of the matter is he laid him out on the boards and 2 games just isn't enough. The NHL and NFL really need to get their s*** together with these dangerous hits.

On a more pleasant note, the Hawks came back from a late 2-0 deficit thanks to the very hot Hoss and Sharpie. The Blues are a good team so it's good to see them not give up after giving up a goal to go down by 2 midway through the 3rd.

[10spro]

The new rule explicitly addresses hits with a principal point of contact to the head, which Hjalmarsson's hit plainly was not. Maybe he should've been punished more severely, but it's a different play.

A grey area that's going to bring serious consequences. So you push a guy severely into the boards, where his head is vulnerable but you shouldn't be punished as sternly because head contact was not initiated? I don't buy it.

I'm not saying it's not worthy of serious punishment, I'm just saying it doesn't come under purview of the new rule.

As Feanor pointed out, there's already rules against boarding.

Of course the boarding calls has been set, and that's where I have my beef against the league. If boarding is being called properly, why wasn't N. Foligno suspended for his dangerous shove on M. Sauer in the first week? Fast forward to last week now, same player, how's this hit being interpreted as only a fine while Doan gets 3 games?





Where's the consistency? If the league thinks that Doan's hit warrants 3 games (which I don't have a problem for the record), then why was Doan still in the game? Do we not have 2 officials on the ice now so that these types of calls don't go overlooked? The puck was just moved up the neutral zone near Sexton and there were no eyes on the play? This is the reason why the officials lose control of a game and players are running around trying to take matters into their own hands! Then they face the consequences for sticking up for a teammate because the officials don't? Can anyone tell me where there is a NHL Official training school?

[Naples39]

"a lateral, back-pressure or blind-side hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact."

It's not entirely clear, but given the spirit of the rule to reduce headshots on defenseless players, I'd say that includes peripheral vision.

As for the Foligno hit, that's a tougher call under the new rule because Foligno was a defensemen waiting in the neutral zone who was clearly ahead of Dwyer (even if the hit was delivered at an angle), as opposed to the Doan and Richards plays which were delivered by backchecking forwards chasing the puck carrier. Of course I'd get rid of the headshots period, but that's not the rule we have currently.

Kinda disappointing that neither the Foligno or Doan hits drew penalties, but it's only a few weeks into a brand new rule, so for once I'll give the officials the benefit of the doubt during the adjustment period.

[10spro]

It's already 6-1 in the second period. Boys decided not to show up in Minny out of all places and Luongo is still in the game. Sure the same annual injury bug is affecting the team but this is simply a bad game for the Canucks. Coach AV probably has decided to start C. Schneider against the Hawks tomorrow in the back to back game, cause Louie is just not sharp tonight.

[fletcher21]

Vancouver player Rypien attacks Wild fan in the stands LOL... Sorry I don't know how to embed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5LdnNz2gXo

[fletcher21]

Rypien vs Wild fan LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqEtA-Ro ... re=related

[Gangrel]

Suspended "indefinately" under his hearing. I heard about it this morning, thinking the fan did something, but after seeing the video, it looks like the guy just was clapping. I think Rypien might be gone a long time.........

[fletcher21]

Vancouver announcer is a huge idiot.. Blaming the fans for this incident? The fans were moved for their protection, but the announcer thinks they were ejected, and rightfully so LOL. For those who don't know, Vancouver really hates the Wild. They have a "rivalry", but it's really not a real rivalry. Just some bad blood from a few years back. The thing is, the nucks are a good team and the Wild are awful, so there's no way you can have a rivalry when one team is not even a playoff contender. Still good to watch, though.


I heard on the game yesterday that it was the 4th loss in a Row for Luongo @ XCEL, and the 4th game in a row he was pulled there. He must really hate that rink for some reason, because the Wild have a bunch of second rate scrubs, but they looked like the Red Wings last night.

[10spro]

Vancouver announcer is a huge idiot.. Blaming the fans for this incident? The fans were moved for their protection, but the announcer thinks they were ejected, and rightfully so LOL. For those who don't know, Vancouver really hates the Wild. They have a "rivalry", but it's really not a real rivalry. Just some bad blood from a few years back. The thing is, the nucks are a good team and the Wild are awful, so there's no way you can have a rivalry when one team is not even a playoff contender. Still good to watch, though.


I heard on the game yesterday that it was the 4th loss in a Row for Luongo @ XCEL, and the 4th game in a row he was pulled there. He must really hate that rink for some reason, because the Wild have a bunch of second rate scrubs, but they looked like the Red Wings last night.

There's no rivalry whatsoever among those teams today. The bad blood spilled over around the playoffs of 03. Much of the players from both teams involved then have changed. I don't know what the VAN announcer said (do you know his name, source?) but no matter how idiotic a fan reacts, a player must maintain his professionalism and keep it cool. The game was over in the second period as I stated earlier, Rypien was frustrated, got into a couple of fights and was eventually ejected for throwing an extra punch when the zebras were trying to separate both pugilists.

What he did to the fan is inexcusable. He's a Pro, he should know better. I like Rypien, and I am sure he feels humiliated today, but being suspended indefinitely until the league finds out more about the incident is the right thing to do.

[ScoopBrady]

I don't know what the VAN announcer said (do you know his name, source?) but no matter how idiotic a fan reacts, a player must maintain his professionalism and keep it cool.

You can hear him for yourself in the second video fletch posted. He basically blames the fan for reaching over when the fan is clearly just clapping. Another comment was made about the fan not wanting to forget his beer. They even showed a replay and during the replay the announcer again failed to point out that the fan was just clapping. Now, the fan might have said something but he clearly did not reach over. That announcer is terrible.

[XXXIV]

That announcer is terrible.

Terrible is being nice.

He is clearly one of these assholes that thinks we are all blind and he can just tell us anything.
We can see! STOP LYING! asshole.....

[Jimmydeicide]

Im guessing the fan was being escorted to the owners bathroom to change his undies.
Clearly the Commentators where homers i hate that.

[pk500]

The terms "horrible" and "Vancouver announcer" never procreated when Jim Hughson was behind the mike for the Canucks. Hughie was and still is the best play-by-play man in the NHL.