Tootoo on Draper

[FireCaptain 563]

I agree, but I think we're in the minority around here.

As much as I hate Tootoo, it didn't look intentional to me. It looked to me like he stumbled...he did step on his back, but it looked like he was pushed/stumbled and tried not to put all his weight onto Draper's back.

[McCartyFanForLife 17]

I agree, but I think we're in the minority around here.

yeah, it's sad. If you watch the video he actually doesn't put weight on that leg and points the toe down so the blade doesn't hit his back. NHL probably won't even comment on it

[Copenhagen848 58]

After watching it again I'm even more convinced that there's no way he intended to harm Draper. You can clearly see that he hops to avoid putting weight down on Draper with his skate leg.

[Bluedevils_13 0]

Tootoo has played surprisingly clean this series, aside from the occaional high hit, or when he leads with his elbow. I hate it just s much as anyone, but he's busting his ass off, and if he could just play like THIS all the time I wouldn't mind him on our team...but Nashville could keep those whistes.

[T.Low 1,011]

After watching it again I'm even more convinced that there's no way he intended to harm Draper. You can clearly see that he hops to avoid putting weight down on Draper with his skate leg.

Agreed. As much as I would love to get pissed at Tootoo, there's nothing there. And make no mistake, I HATE THAT LITTLE f*****.

[DeuxEx 0]

It doesn't really look intentional but... why would you even put yourself in position to do that? Don't climb over someone on when you sharp metal blades on your feet, it's dangerous.

[C-Dub 0]

Looks incidental to me...

[Copenhagen848 58]

It doesn't really look intentional but... why would you even put yourself in position to do that? Don't climb over someone on when you sharp metal blades on your feet, it's dangerous.

Are you serious? So players should just wait until everyone that falls down stands back up to go for the puck and/or begin playing again? C'mon now, this is hockey not basketball.

[Dustywt4 0]

This was intentional. He just tried to hide it like Pronger. There is zero protection for a player's back around the numbers. That play could have resulted in a damaged spine. It is pretty sad that Tootoo would think that was a good thing to do. Further, I am disappointed that Draper didn't chase him down afterwards and step on his face as long as stepping on people is legal.

[cboth686 0]

I hate TooToo...one of the dirtiest players in the league. Even when he played for the Canada junior team he was cheap as sh*t. He started punching Iggy in the face when he wasn't even ready one game, then claimed to win a fight against him. Iginla would destroy Tootoo limb by limb if they were put into cage. Then again, I'm sure Iginla didn't care, he probably made in one game what Tootoo makes in half a season or something haha.

[Lidsyukerberg 0]

As much as I hate Tootoo, it didn't look intentional to me. It looked to me like he stumbled...he did step on his back, but it looked like he was pushed/stumbled and tried not to put all his weight onto Draper's back.

I have to agree with this, that is what I saw too. We can have all the bias opinions we want, but when you are willing to look at it for what it was, there was nothing there. Actually, as much as I dislike Tootoo I commend him for the effort he made to not put his weight on that foot after being hit in the back and pushed over Draper. He could have just put his weight on it and said that he was pushed. But he didn't, he made the effort to not hurt Drapes.

This was intentional. He just tried to hide it like Pronger. There is zero protection for a player's back around the numbers. That play could have resulted in a damaged spine. It is pretty sad that Tootoo would think that was a good thing to do. Further, I am disappointed that Draper didn't chase him down afterwards and step on his face as long as stepping on people is legal.

Do you think maybe it's because Draper knew it wasn't intentional and was greatful that Tootoo made the effort to NOT hurt him? We can all sit around and talk and rant about what we think we know, but I think the guys on the ice have a little clearer picture than we do.

[Frozen-Man 144]

I have to agree with this, that is what I saw too. We can have all the bias opinions we want, but when you are willing to look at it for what it was, there was nothing there. Actually, as much as I dislike Tootoo I commend him for the effort he made to not put his weight on that foot after being hit in the back and pushed over Draper. He could have just put his weight on it and said that he was pushed. But he didn't, he made the effort to not hurt Drapes.

Look, I'm not sure if he meant to do it or not. I don't think you should ever step on a player's back but the excuse that he could have said that he was pushed is clearly not supported by the video. Watch it again, there is NO ONE near him when he gets up and puts his skate onto Draper's back. It may have been accidently, perhaps he was beginning to lose his ballance and had to step on Draper rather than over him like he might have intended but there was not anyone near him that was a contributing factor to the step.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

That was nothing..

[58Miles2Joe 12]

that was totally on purpose, with a second thought mid-stomp.

Tootoo is bad

[12Newf 0]

yeah im joining the minority...i dont see the intent and i think he realized it and intentionally put no weight on it. to me it looks like an accident and i absolutely loathe fruitoo.

[Inultus 12]

Tootoo has played surprisingly clean this series, aside from the occaional high hit, or when he leads with his elbow. I hate it just s much as anyone, but he's busting his ass off, and if he could just play like THIS all the time I wouldn't mind him on our team...but Nashville could keep those whistes.

totally agree. i wish all of our players were playing as hard as he is this series. also, i was laughing my ass off when ken daniels called the whistles annoying. i didn't think commentators were allowed to denigrate other team's traditions like that...lol

[hamip1998 3]

yeah im joining the minority...i dont see the intent and i think he realized it and intentionally put no weight on it. to me it looks like an accident and i absolutely loathe fruitoo.

Count me in as a minority member as well. There wasn't anything intentional. That piece of garbage was just trying to stay in the play, not stomp on Drapes.

As much as I hate to give 2-2 the benefit of the doubt (and not to derail the thread either) but I seriously don't think that he feels that he does anything wrong. I truly think that he feels that it's ok to come into a scrum and start punching people with his gloves on from behind without squaring off. Either that or he has some issues with controlling his temper and is REALLY impulsive. I don't know.

He does play with a lot of passion, but not with much control or respect for competition or the game. I have got to give him some props for how he has been playing during this series though. Apparently he can play a relatively clean game.

All I know is that I wish he would get laid out or get a major a** beating by one of the "soft" players in the Winged Wheel that doesn't like to be hit.

Edited April 18, 2008 by hamip1998

[lfd250 1]

I've scene worse. Let's stop looking at Nashville and start looking at our guys. Like it or not Tittit has heart, is working hard and making a diference. FOR A THIRD LINER. We need our hitters (Downey) to get in there and do the same. Our guys are looking over the shoulder, wondering where he is comeing from. Mean while knowing that there won't be a hit on them, there are getting out of their zone.

[Turkey 0]

I have traditionally been a Tootoo despiser but I have to admit that in this series he has been clean and effective. He's scoring, hitting hard, and not doing much in the way of cheap shotting. The Draper thing looks completely unintentional to me and, since Draper himself didn't even feel it, clearly wasn't that big of an issue.

If we had more forwards playing like Tootoo, I suspect this series wouldn't be tied.

[Son of a Wing 1,644]

I think the minority has become the majority. There is no way the league should be looking at that. Come on guys.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

Drapes thinks it was intentional

Linky Dinky Doo

[daniel1 32]

Well after reading some of the previous posters on here I was expecting to see Tootoo in a black hood swinging a large ax at Draper's back in the center of the town square, lol. After watching the replay a few times though I even give Toots a tiny bit of credit for appearing to avoid putting any weight on Draper's back with his foot as he realizes his skate is right on top of Draper's back. In this case both players went down, Toots gets up before Drapes and tries to get back into the play where he appears to try and step over Draper and just doesn't quite make it. It's not as though Toots is standing over him and deliberately "Simon-Stomps" on him.

No need for a review here; let's put our homer glasses back in their case until tonight's game starts!

[Vincanni 1]

Drapes thinks it was intentional

Linky Dinky Doo

Third time suggesting this on the various threads but if you have a Yahoo! account "buzz up" the story so more people see it. Here's the Yahoo! link.

[dawings 0]

This was intentional. He just tried to hide it like Pronger. There is zero protection for a player's back around the numbers. That play could have resulted in a damaged spine. It is pretty sad that Tootoo would think that was a good thing to do. Further, I am disappointed that Draper didn't chase him down afterwards and step on his face as long as stepping on people is legal.

I didn't see this during the game but after seeing the video...IMHO I feel that Tootoo could have gone over/around him. Any amount of force could have injured Drapes as there's not much between the jersey and the skin. I think that Tootoo thought better of it once he stepped up on his back. Tsk..tsk.

Ok..I've looked at this video several times after I wrote what I did above...clearly Tootoo was looking at Drapes laying on the ice and he thought that getting to the puck was more important than Drapes. I also saw afterward that Tootoo lightened up..he could have stepped much harder but.....if he had hit the right area he could have paralyzed him! He did use the toe of his skate.

[savaking72 0]

I saw Tootoo (that idiot) step on his back during the game. It came right after Draper was putting on some major hits in the Preds zone. When the preds cleared the puck there was a scrum to the left of Hasek (Hasek's right), in the corner, that is where it happened. Somehow Draper ended up on the ice, and the next thing I noticed was # 22 stepping on # 33's lower back. I could have sworn I saw Tootoo step up, as to put more pressure on his raised foot. Man, I was pissed. I was yelling how could they not have seen that. Tootoo is an ass, and he deserves to get his idiot ass beat down by McCarty or Downey. It is obvious that the refs only see what they want to see. All the refs from that night need to suspended for the rest of the playoffs. Draper could have seriously been injured. The officials are really lucky nothing became of it, and so it Tootoo...more so Tootoo...the idiot.

After watching the replay on youtube I noticed that I was wrong. Tootoo didn't put pressure on Draper's back, or not 'stepping up' as I put it. Though, I do believe Tootoo could have went in another direction, and I still believe Tootoo is an idiot. When I say idiot I don't mean he is dumb. I mean he acts like he has no reguard for anyone, and because of that I really do hope McCarty beats his idiot ass down.