toby91_ca

Yzerman losing it with the refs isn't exactly a rarity.

Started at 11am, so it's likely done now, I'm guessing we should get word of ruling this afternoon.

Burke was on the radio this morning and he actually made a couple good points as to why goalies need to be protected that I didn't previously think about. He did mention their equipment being designed to stop pucks, not absorb body contact (which was my main issue). - Goalies don't have the ability to skate around the entire ice and deliver hits (i.e. payback later in the game) - Goalies are not trained, do not practice taking contact on a dailing basis like every other player. Brian didn't like the hit at all, suggested Lucic did not play the puck and took it as an opportunity to run the goalie. That said, he agree with no suspension based on current rules.

Carcillo was suspended for 2 games for a more dangerous boarding (in my opinion) at the end of October. Letang was also suspended 2 games for boarding mid-October. In pre-season, Sestito delivered a much more full-on hit from behind into the boards and rec'd 2 games in the regular season (+ 3 preseason, which I don't really cound for much). Also, in the preseason, Letourneau-Leblond rec'd 1 regular season game (+ 4 preseason) - he's a repeat offender. Even if you think this hit was on the same level of these others, he should not get any more than 2 games. In my opinion, the contact was less than the examples I gave. Eva, 5 games....really?

So what's your rationale for 8 games?

That's your opinion, which is fine, but the NHL currently disagrees with you and so do I. You can't make the goalies fair game because they are not equiped to absorb the body contact like any other player. It's not because they are wussies or anything like that, it's because of their equipment. They are much more prone to injury through body contact than anyone else....hence the rule. I have no problem at all with the rule, I'm just wondering if they want to consider no allowing goalies to leave their crease to play the puck. Not sure about that though as the limitations recently put on them as to when they can play the puck haven't been overwhelmingly positive.

Which first-year-eligible player is most likely to get voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012? Jeremy Roenick: 8.50% Joe Sakic: 44.09% Brendan Shanahan: 14.24% Mats Sundin: 11.20% All of the above: 21.97% While Sakic is leading by far...why is does he have only 44% of the vote?

Not completely unlike what Yzerman did to Pronger. Yes, hipcheck. How do you hipcheck a guy without the puck? Same way you do with a guy that has the puck. I don't see what the issue is here. One guy is coming in for a hit, leaving him fair game for a hipcheck, what's the issue? Are you telling me that you think there is a problem with a guy trying to avoid getting hit when he sees it coming?

Why? Looked like a hip check to the thighs to me.....it was very high, he didn't go low at all.

When you say that you have "personally" had a game tying goal waived off, I'm assuming you are not talking about you playing in the NHL. The fact is, all leagues have different rules. I play in one league that if you make contact with the puck above your shoulders it's an actual penalty. I play in league where you cannot be in the crease for more than 3 seconds at any time, if you are they will blow the wistle and face-off comes outside the zone. Other leagues I play in there is no minimum seconds, you simply can't go in the crase. In terms of the NHL, there is no problem with going in the crease as long as you don't interfere with the goalie. With respect to the particular goal in question, there should be no debate at all, clearly a good goal. Because that's what the refs are there for, it's their call. If there is conclusive video evidence, the video evidence will prevail. If video evidence is not conclusive, I don't understand why you wouldn't go with the call made by the ref.

I think you are taking it a little too far. The fans only vote in the starting line up + how often can you say that someone the fans voted in didn't deserve to be there? You can probably find several examples of when certain guys shouldn't have been voted in over other guys, but even if they shouldn't be starting, the vast majority would be all-stars anyway. In terms of Crosby, all expectations are that he is coming back very soon and the last he played, he was at a level above the competition not seen for a long time (in terms of pure scoring), why wouldn't it make sense for him to be selected to the all star game? Yes, he's a former all-star, whether he played or not, he was selected. But I think you are mistaken, he hasn't been selected several times, I think he has only been selected once and he didn't play.

I expected that the Oilers would eventually be a pretty good team with the talent they have, I thought it would take a little longer to gain the experience though, we'll see how they hold up. The Leafs, well, I thought they would be okay this year, either just make the playoffs or just miss....my opinion hasn't changed much yet. In terms of your comment though that the Leafs have racked up a lot of high picks lately.....that's pretty far from the truth. They have only had 2 top 10 picks in the last 13 years, in those 13 years, they actually haven't had a pick in the 1st round in 4 of them. Their average first pick in those 13 years comes in at about #32.

what format are you referring to? You have to put "old" into some context.

It was a pretty clear kicking motion, but since it then bounced off the defenseman and in, it's a good goal. The clip reminded me of Rocky IV

For this hit

In terms of #3, there is no way that should have any impact on a vetern player like Datsyuk. I really don't like several arguments on here discussing the fact that his linemates suck. If we are talking about a player being one of the best, it shouldn't matter who he plays with, the great players produce regardless. The only excuse I'll make is that's it's way too early to worry about this, I'm sure things will even out over the year. Sure, he's only on pace for 63pts right now, but if he strings together a couple multi-point games, he back on ppg pace. He's not going to be a 100pt player, anyone who thought that were overestimating.

I suspect that might create some legal issues.

I take it more as him refusing assignment to facilitate a transfer to Europe. I'm guessing if he felt he had a shot to make it back to the NHL, he's go to the AHL and do his time, but the money in Europe is better than the AHL, so if there is no chance of playing in the NHL, why stick it out in the AHL? Especially for a European player.

Actually, the hit, from what I hear, was very uncharateristic of him. This hit actually reminded me a bit of the Steve Downie hit from a few years ago that got him a 20 games suspension in the NHL (before all the real headshot hoopla).

Actually, this Friday is the date that has been speculated for a long, long time now (over a month at least). It's really the first game after the team has had a stretch of off days where they can have hard physical practises. It is just the media speculating though and Crosby suggests whoever says he's playing for sure on Friday knows more than he does.

My first thought was that the author probably doesn't have a lot of experience in general. I don't know how old he is, but I do know that we was born sometime after 1986, so at the oldest, he's in his early 20s. That said, I understand the point. Normally, for a guy to last in the NHL for 20 years, you are talking about STAR players, in a lot of cases, alltime greats. Draper is pretty average compared to most of the guys who have played that long. There is no doubt he is of average skill, which requires him to work so hard. The faceoff proficiency has been brought up and it's funny, if you look at who the best faceoff guys have been in the league, a lot of the best of the best are actually fairly average players. Someone mentioned that calling anybody at the pro or semi pro level "average" is asinine...which I sort of agree with, but that term is used in context to other pro players, not to the general public. This isn't always true, maybe at a high level. It's true that a lot of role players in the NHL were actually stars and big scorers in juniors and prior, but there are many, many exceptions to that. There are a lot of players that were grinders throughout, or were more of a scorer but still not the best on their team or even close to the best in the league. Then you have enforcers.....different story obviously.

The thread title is very missleading. The boards were replaced, but it had nothing to do with what's at the JLA and the replacement of the boards did not consider at all what exists at the JLA. The only connection to Detroit is a comment that the boards are very lively, similar to what you see in Detroit. Detroit has set plays designed around those lively boards and they are suggesting that the Sharks need to think about trying to use the boards to their advantage in a similar way.....seems like a no brainer. I don't feel flattered at all (I know I'm not a part of the red wings organization, but you know what I mean) because I don't see how they are copying the Wings in any way.

Well, I'm sure if I looked at the actual written rules, I could argue why the contact is a non-issue, I just haven't taken the time to do that.

You do have a point from a literal sense of the rule, but I have a hard time thinking they would ever have a problem with a hit like that.