dicksmack

It was a clear mistake by the ref--they don't come much more obvious than that. The video review is intended to assist with difficult calls but as you say, this can't happen with that utterly absurd rule in place which allows the ref to say he intended to blow the whistle. This rule needs to go. It should be changed such that with a video replay, if the puck is fully across the goal line before the whistle is heard, it's a goal, period.

Think "post lock-out" Drake, think "post lock-out." BTW, the first question I always ask a Leafs fan is Who do you cheer for in the playoffs?

These games against Toronto would have had a different outcome if they were played in the month of March instead of Oct./Nov. The wins by TO are pretty meaningless for a so-called rivalry when the teams are at opposite ends of the standings.

Everybody sucked last night, Osgood included.

The whole team sucked last night, including Osgood.

Who is faster than Helm anyway?

Nice take on the article, Zombo. Very good piece. I especially like the attention drawn to the lead the OHL has taken in player safety and McKenzie's underlining the fact that these players are in fact young amateurs that won't end up as pros.

Yes, it was. The ref called a major penalty for boarding. The rules are quoted directly from the OHL rule book. You show your complete lack of comprehension of my post as well these rules. The rules say nothing about elbows up or turning one's back or a hit to the head. The rules are subjective. I thought it was more a charge than boarding because he spun at the last second. The problem with charging is YOU CAN'T LET UP when you're covering that much distance and going that fast; it creates an unsafe situation when the goalie obscured the kid's view. Get the point??? Understand??? Dirty hit.

OHL rulebook: Boarding – A boarding penalty shall be imposed on any player or goalkeeper who checks an opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to be thrown violently in the boards. The severity of the penalty, based upon the degree of violence of the impact with the boards, shall be at the discretion of the Referee. There is an enormous amount of judgment involved in the application of this rule by the Referees. The onus is on the player (or goalkeeper) applying the check to ensure his opponent is not in a vulnerable position and if so, he must avoid the contact. However, there is also a responsibility on the player with the puck to avoid placing himself in a dangerous and vulnerable position. This balance must be considered by the Referees when applying this rule. Any unnecessary contact with the player playing the puck on an obvious “icing or “off-side†play which results in that player being knocked into the boards is “boarding†and must be penalized as such. In other instances where there is no contact with the boards, it should be considered “chargingâ€. 42.2 Minor Penalty - The Referee, at his discretion, may assess a minor penalty, based on the degree of violence of the impact with the boards, to a player or goalkeeper guilty of boarding an opponent. 42.3 Major plus Game Misconduct Penalty – The Referee, at his discretion, may assess a major penalty plus a game misconduct, based on the degree of violence of the impact with the boards; to a player or goalkeeper guilty of boarding an opponent (see 42.5). 42.4 Match Penalty – The Referee, at his discretion, may assess a match penalty if, in his judgment, the player or goalkeeper attempted to or deliberately injured his opponent by boarding. Rule 43 - Charging 43.1 Charging - A minor or major penalty (plus a game misconduct) shall be imposed on a player or goalkeeper who skates or jumps into, or charges an opponent in any manner. Charging shall mean the actions of a player or goalkeeper who, as a result of distance traveled, shall violently check an opponent in any manner. A “charge†may be the result of a check into the boards, into the goal frame or in open ice. A minor or a major and a game misconduct shall be imposed on a player who charges a goalkeeper while the goalkeeper is within his goal crease. This is a dirty hit: boarding or charging, take your pick. Though Fanelli turned at the last moment, perhaps he wouldn't have done so if the goaltender hadn't been obscuring his view. The charging hitter would reasonably have known that, as he bore directly down on Fanelli, his position and speed would have been blocked from view. This places Fanelli in a vulnerable position. Fanelli looked over his shoulder but this happened well before the goalie blocked his view, so it was rather limited information. The hitter took advantage of the situation. In any case, it is still a charge. One of the reasons that charging is illegal is because when you have built up excess momentum as a result of the distance travelled, you can't let up if the play takes a dangerous turn. Obviously, the ref can call only one initial penalty and he chose charging as he saw Fanelli go into the boards face first. The amount of discretion allotted for the call is a perfect for this situation. Many good checks cause someone to be "violently thrown into the boards" but this isn't a good hit. I don't have a problem with the suspension. Perhaps the suspension just accelerated the 20 year-old hitter's transition to rec. hockey by one year. When a penalty causes a serious injury, the penalty gets serious consequences, just ask Todd Bertuzzi. These are very different situations but share the same reaction from the leagues given the injuries involved.

Wings won't win a game on this road trip.

Cheap ass hit. It was late and was all head. It's a surprisingly bush league hit from Richards and he deserves every game for which he will be suspended. Mitchell's hit on Toews was a thing of beauty (all shoulder and you hear the puck hit Toews' stick just before the check).

I gotta say I absolutely love to see big hitters get a taste of their own... but not like that.

Hit of the year... the whistle need not have been blown though. Toews was stunned but was on his feet.

Wow... not a big fight fan but that guy is something else! He seems to land that first left and then blocks with it too!

If you listen, you can hear Bert apologize for bumping into opposing players. His snarl is gone for good. Whether it's his back or the Moore incident, or both, he's now a plumber's apprentice. It's too bad, and I wish him well but he is what he is...

This appears nothing like Hatcher's injury. Hatcher was dragged off by two teammates and was pale as a sheet. You knew his ACL was busted clean through. Mule finished the game and scored the winning goal. I think four months sounds to be a reasonable period for what appears to be a minor tear. A friend of mine has done both to his knees. When he tore it, it was a nagging injury that would occasionally swell with heavy use but he could deal with. When he busted it landing from a jump shot, he went off the court on a stretcher and had to have re-constructive surgery.

I think it's clear that Hudler will be signed by the Wings and dealt. There is a history in the NHL of GMs trading players directly after arbitration. I think there will be plenty of takers for Hudler. Despite his size, he's well known for making the most of his ice time on the score sheet. So, Hudler gets his $ and the f*** out of Dodge, and as well, the Wings get something for a player they drafted and developed.

I think the KHL signing was for leverage with Holland. Before somebody says it, I'm not comparing him to Datsyuk as a player but Pavel and his agent had to play dirty ass hardball with Kenny just to get a fair deal. I have no animosity towards Hudler for what he's doing. Apparently you're expected to file for arbitration to avoid NHL offer sheets being thrown at you, so Huds is posturing with an outside league. It's a good tactic... So what's the big deal?

I think Kindl should have been dealt already... when he was worth something. I've never seen a so-called blue chip defensive prospect play such brutal hockey.

Ah yes, those numbered days after the lucky shot on Souray...

Well I'm kidding but Ferraro has a ton of respect for the wings and it shows.

There's one more commentator in our corner...

What, you mean at birth? Clearly yourself and Cabbie are in this category.

Kindl will debut at age 30! He should have those defensive kinks worked out by then! At some point you have to lead that old horse out into the pasture, feed him a good last meal, and shoot him. But thanks Cheli! Perhaps you'll find a career as a conditioning coach or trainer, lord know's you're the man in this dept.

Waaaaaaah... Datsyuk isn't even the best defensive forward on his team... Double Selke's beg to differ.