Opie

I love the video release of why they did this. Not just on this hit, on all of them. Even if I disagree with the Player Safety Committee on a suspension at least now we can see their train of thought.

Patrick Kane, .02 cents. patrick 20 cent kane? Nevermind

The other thing I would like to see or understand, if it is a dirty hit when done to a teammate and you are willing to get vengeance for it, why then would it be ok for you or your teammate to do it to another team? That is often times why I find the B's to be so hypocritcal, the ***** about what happened to their guys as dirty and gutless, then do the same and say it is part of the game. BTW F.Michael, I like watching them too, they have an exciting hockey team with the right combo of vets, youth, skill, toughness, and are really tough to play against.

I think it will be real interesting when the roster expands who actually plays and who is a black ace! I think Babs likes the young guys and if up to him would play them more.

You my friend are LGW's king of the internet for today!

Interesting point in the puckdaddy article that reflects this: “The referee said he hit him a little late,” said Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau. “When he hits him a little late and a guy’s injured, then it’s a game misconduct, I guess, by rule. That was his explanation to me, and I accepted it.”

Perry's thoughts, on hit! “I was committed to the hit,” Perry said Tuesday night after getting tossed for drilling Jason Zucker in the Anaheim Ducks’ 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild. “It’s one of those things. I didn’t change my path of direction. I was committed. I tried to let up. It’s hard. It happens so fast. It’s unfortunate.” He explodes through that hit, there is no let up there that is for sure! Full story on Puckdaddy: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/corey-perry-explains-ejection-vs-wild-don-t-045850879--nhl.html

Marchand is extremely frustrating to watch on a regular basis. He is in beast mode often enough, that when he goes into D-Bag mode it is enough to hate him. The local media (Mike Felger in particular) and a lot of fans loves this guy whether he be boarding people or scoring a hat trick, and I think it went to his head. it is close to the same love they gave PJ Stock, the Scalabrine treatment as I like to call it. Only Marchand has the skills and abilities to be a top 6, those two were roster fillers. He can be the biggest prick sometimes, and other times you think man they have some real young talent Bergeroen, Lucic, Seguin, Rask, and this guy. (Not to mention Hamilton looks to be a legit #1- #2 dman.)

great analogies!!!!

Well the statement that said: Basically stating that the height differential is the reason the hit was so violent, which the ducks have used before (Pronger). Ignoring the fact that Perry could have let up, and should have let up. I disagree that Height has everything to do with this hit and would say that height has 25% and Corey Perry had 75% to do with it! Why is Perry not responsible for reacting to Zucker's position, why doesn't he bend down to hit him in the shoulders? Oh right the Pronger theory on height as it relates to cleanliness of hits. This is no longer the NHL of Scott Stevens putting Kariya's lights out, those are the types of hits the league is trying to get rid of. And yes he made a very good point, the intent of most hits is not to just separate the puck, but send a message, and make the player think before he makes plays. This hit is very similar imo to Cooke on Savard, player passes puck, player watches pass, another player sees this player in a vulnerable position and takes advantage of it. *(tangent: Once I would like to see a guy in that position scream "GOTCHA!" or "BOOO!" and see the other player crap their pants, but still be able to skate off of the ice and remember what city he is in!)* As opposed to the Umberger hit posted earlier in which the player was skating with the puck and his head down and ate a shoulder to the chest, then folded up like a cheap suitcase and knocked himself out on Campbelll's shoulder pads.(BTW that clip is so old and so before the crackdown of hitting both players have played multiple years on multiple other teams, the league has changed since 2006, especially when it comes to hits). Also, Perry hit from the blindside, whether or not that is because Zucker is looking is irrelevant, the reason it is his blindside is because he is not looking that way. This was not a Kronwalling where Perry hit Zucker right on the logo and the follow through went to the head. This was blindside and to the head. Perry was in a position where he really only had three options, go body on body and probably board Zucker, level him right in the head, or don't hit him. There is no way Perry is the type of player to pull away on that hit, that is why so many fans like his playing style. Look at the debate we are having, blaming Zucker for watching his pass, he put himself in a vulnerable position, he is too low, etc... But where and when do we put blame on the player hitting? Sure F.Micheal did not say whose fault it was, Zucker or Perry, instead he blamed the height of the two players

^ LOL Chris Pronger theory of height as it relates to cleanliness of hits???? Not Perry's fault, what is he supposed to do, control his body to hit where it is legal. The league needs to stop punishing taller players like Perry and instead institute a mandatory height requirement! /sarcasm

akustyk, Was you post of the Umberger hit to show similiarities? That was Umberger skating with the puck with his head down, something he does quite often actually. Zucker had passed the puck.

Don't like this hit at all, he should have pulled up, or hit him body to body. He was trying to level the rookie, and he did. Should get 5 games minimum, he is a bigger name than the guy he hurt, so he will probably get 2 at most.

I came in here with a list of reasons why the Shootout is a horrible idea, but now I can just quote you! Kane to me is the perfect example of how what is wrong with the shootout has become popular. He does his slow little move with the puck barely moving, all the announcers and fans think he is so creative and dangerous. Dats is creative and dangerous, Kane is just more patient than goalies. I like Shanny's idea of 4v4 then 3v3 if that doesn't work. But the shootout is a skill competition that is deciding NHL games and standings, Anyone got a stat of how many games go into Shootout?

No way in hell this league can expand with the mess Pho is right now. Too many teams are struggling, contraction is a better idea than expansion.

Edit: Never mind wasn't funny anyways. (confession bear image I couldn't get to load)

How many face offs did Kris Draper win after sticks and bodies got tangled and he fell down and hand passed it. Face offs are killing me right now, and have been for the past 4 or so years. It seems like the refs are using this time to put themselves on display. JUST DROP THE F'iIN PUCK ALREADY! No need to stand there for 10-15 seconds with everyone lined up waiting for some one to step into the circle or a player to move his stick to fast. What happened to the quick face offs?

Last night I watched 3 games on TV, none of them penalty ridden. Sure some fighting majors, but for the most part the ticky tack, "that looked like a penalty happened, even though I am not sure I saw it" calls. Last night sounds like the refs did their job for a night! They are rustier than most of the players this season.

By the other poster's logic, I would say yes. By mine is that he is being paid 5.25 this year and is playing like a 3 mil a year player. When he is being paid 1 mil a year at ages 39 and 40, I will expect him to play like a 1 mil a year player. Both of them for that matter, but I expect Hossa will still be the better player.

Just to be clear, does that mean when he is 39 and getting paid 1 mil a year you also expect him to play like a 4mil cap hit?

Why is it that he should play to his cap hit? The contract length was also earned by his performance, so getting a 11 year deal means he never has to play for a contract again. And he is being paid $5.25 this year, 5.00 for the next 3 years, 3.5 for a year, 2.0 for a year and then 1 mil for the last 2 years. He will most likely not finish this contract, because in 7 years he will be 40. This year he is being paid 5.25 million dollars, not the 3.9 cap hit, when he is actually getting paid 3.5 million then I will expect him to play like a 3mil player. I assume you don't have the same expectations of Franzen when he is making 1 mil a year at age 39 as you would at age 33 and being paid 5.25 mil, I know I don't.

What does he need time for, it is not like it is a 20 year old Tyler Sequin who needs to grow up and act like and adult, this is a player who for years has played just like this. This was always my argument with people about Mule. I always hear if you take 4 months from last season and three months from this season he has great stats. Which while sometimes true, is never over the course of one whole season, he is injury prone(not in the sense that he misses games, but always has an ailment to prevent him from being 100% according to LGW) and is, shall we say, less than interested from time to time. The man has spurts of fantastic play, or is invisible, never anywhere in between. Scores 5 goals one game and then nothing for months. To me this is not a recent play issue with Mule, this is not just a last few months thing, this has been Mule since he joined the Wings. If he scored a point in every other game that would be great but his .58 ppg is based on unbelievably streaky play. He has had three great playoff runs, other than that he has been very inconsistent.

If you could put Tootoo's work ethic and hard nosed play, in Franzen's body and skill set or vice versa, what a true power forward you would have!

That was what I thought, he came from pretty far a way to make that hit, and he left his feet *around* the point of impact. Either way I can see a charging call on that play.