haroldsnepsts

Not a surprise. This team has more offensive talent than last season but is struggling to score goals even more than they did last year. He's came there and implemented a solid defensive system, but his affect seems to have been limited to that. The assistant coach is apparently not that much different than Murray, so I'm guessing they're shopping around.

Wait, are you saying not everything is Ericsson's fault??

I agree, but don't see it happening. Lucic and Malkin should get a fine, and be considered repeat offenders if and when they do get suspended.

For those who hate Lucic. Here's more ammo. Not really suspension worthy since he mostly missed, but it's a knee on knee attempt. He got 2 mins for tripping. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-9J5T_rwJM&feature=player_embedded

I don't think it's that indirect or roundabout. Think about how much we as fans care about this realignment. You don't think professional hockey players care as much or more? It affects what teams they play, playoff chances, amount they'll be traveling and away from home. Not to mention they are probably at least as passionate about the game and its history as we are. I don't think the NHL was required to consult the NHLPA but Bettman seems to forget that they players are the reason we all pay money to watch games. Hockey is ultimately entertainment and the players are the stars, not the GM's, and certainly not him. It's hard to imagine any other form of entertainment where they would make a massive decision like this without at least consulting and working with the talent.

and an automatic game misconduct.

Exactly my point. And one of the handful of reasons I don't watch soccer. what he said! ( I really need to scroll down and read the last posts before replying)

The way he plays the game it's not surprising the injuries are racking up. Though this one is odd because it showed up after his surgery. Still, that is an asinine contract Philly gave him considering he was 35 at the time.

Maybe next time a goalie makes another save on Ovie, he should drop his stick and pretend to spray lighter fluid on it and set it back on fire.

5 more seasons at $4.5 million. I really have nothing against Leino, but I'm shocked he got a six year contract like that based on so little previous performance to show he'd ever earn it.

Here's the elbow that got him the one game ban.

Because if he succeeds somewhere else it makes it look like Holland made a mistake in letting him go, and some people apparently can't accept that idea. So all players that leave Detroit must fail, or at least be made to look like they fail. Also see Quincey and Kopecky.

Absolutely agree. Even though the skates are often on the ice during contact, launching up into a guy is in essence still charging. It just slowly became acceptable over the years. So it looks like the league is trying to get it back to where it was. The good news is that though it looks like they may be trying to take hitting out of the game, the game used to have tons of hitting without players launching up like that. Players just need to learn to get back to that.

There's just a long standing tradition and code regarding goaltenders and goals in general. Like how players never shoot the puck into the net at the end of plays or after the whistle or anything. It would be an immediate brawl, even though the play is dead. You just don't do it. Just like taunting the goalie after a goal isn't really done. At least not that openly. Most celebrations I have no problem with, but this one isn't just a young kid being excited. It's ridiculous and pre-planned and all about himself. If stuff like this became commonplace in hockey it would probably do more to dissuade me from watching than if they took out fighting. Hockey players are among the toughest, most highly skilled, hardest working and team oriented athletes there are. Part of what's great about the game is what these guys do as a team and for their teammates. If it went the way of football with the celebrations, it would lose one of the better qualities the game has. I'd take Steve Yzerman jumping so hard into Shanahan that he breaks his nose a million times over a player dancing over a stick pretending it's on fire, or kneeling down pretending he's a sniper shooting the goalie.

This. I like hockey because it's a team sport and players celebrate together after goals. They acknowledge the guy who made a great pass, or took a huge hit to make a play that ended up in their goal. Some personality is fine, but that was assinine. I don't want hockey to go the way of football. Where nearly every friggin tackle or completed pass involves a player's preplanned signature move. Leaving the bench was a nutball move by Downie. This warranted a scrum. Not coming off the bench.

Maybe he meant the last time they won a playoff series? When was that, a decade ago?

From tonight's Flyers Pens game. Don't know that it's suspension-worthy because he missed, but this seemed like the best place for it. And it's certainly a cheapshot attempt from Malkin. He and Giroux had been battling during the play.

I wonder how big this'll be on Sutton since he was just suspended a little over a month ago. And it's a good thing this thread is a completely different topic than the NHL suspension thread.

Because there was no call on the play and it was clearly a spear, at the very least an attempted one, he should've been fined something to re-up his repeat offender status. Agreed. The guy throws big and sometimes borderline hits, but he apparently can't take what he dishes out.

By the league definition it's basically hitting a guy with the point of your stick blade. They also consider spearing simply the act of trying to spear a guy. Even if you don't make contact with him, it's supposed to be a double minor. If you do make contact it's an automatic 5 minute major and a game misconduct.

It was McLellan (who is now a commentator on NHL network) going Hextall on Franzen, immediately after he was put in net.

I'm done with Ovie. I was such a fan when he came into the league, but he's turned into more and more of an ass with each season. Dirty hits, questionable fitness, an oversize ego that used to be mostly funny but is now just tired, whining to the refs any time they call him for something, calling his coach a f-ing f*ggot on the bench when he didn't get played in the final minutes of a game, probably getting his coach fired, and now add spearing to the list. I'm sure I'm missing a few things, but I just can't root for this guy anymore. It's ridiculous that he's the captain.

I do agree that all the focus on headshots still leads to awfully light penalties on other serious infractions. Guys are still getting away with little cheapshots that are potentially much more dangerous than some of these hits.

It basically sounds like they didn't even talk to the players union while negotiating this. While they may not have an official vote, it's a stupid move and sets a divisive tone heading into the new CBA negotiations by not making the players feel included. Bettman's disdain for the NHLPA is palpable.

Absolutely agree. As much as I love it when Kronner crushes someone, a fair amount of his hits have been on the line, a few over. And like I said earlier, the exploding up is inevitably directing the blow towards a guys upper body and head. You can still crush them with your skates on the ice and not leaping. Even if the leap happens at or after contact, it used to be considered a charge years ago.