Isles vs Flames

[The Mule 0]

Man the preseason has been UNREAL so far... looks like old time hockey is making it's way back

Tons of hits... fights... tons of emotion!

wings games have been ok too i guess

Get real. We've played one game, we scored three goals, one of our players fought, and we beat Pronger. Thus far, what more can you ask for?

[Statts 4]

Looks like a good, clean hit to me. Hope Okposo is ok... probably just setting up how the islanders regular season will pan out .

Edited September 18, 2009 by Statts

[WpgMikos 17]

Interesting move by Morency jumping off the bench to go after Phaneuf. Too bad it ended with him getting beat down. Good for him at least, for standing up for his teammate.

Found a video of Fleury's shooutout winner.

Edited September 18, 2009 by WpgMikos

[seeinred 1,488]

Wow, Dion looked like a scared little ***** there.

[skacore 2]

Wow, Dion looked like a scared little ***** there.

when? when he was mid-collision knocking out Okposo? or while he was ragdolling a minor league goon to the ice? where did he look like a ***** exactly?

[Guest Shoreline]

This is why Phaneuf is one of my favorite players. Wicked shot, better than average defense, and can hit hard. Feel bad for Okposo since he was in the midst of getting checked when Phaneuf had long already committed to hitting him. Hope he's ok and comes back soon, like, preferably the regular season opener if not sooner.

[Peleshob 0]

It's good to see a try-out work out in Fluery (unlike Allison for Toronto) but I don't think that hit was necessary at all. What does Dion have to gain by throwing that hit? It's pre-season, the guy has a job in place, Okposo was off balance from being pushed/checked from behind. Looks like Dion has already committed, I get they were down 3-1... but it's pre-season. I wish Morency would have beat his ass, but he got taken down. To me this was a ***** move, but I can see how some people would like it. Injury or not, it just comes off as wrong to me. Even if the result wasn't the same, hitting a guy like that... in the pre-season with job security... I just don't get it. Okposo is one of the few bright spots for the Isles.

[seeinred 1,488]

when? when he was mid-collision knocking out Okposo? or while he was ragdolling a minor league goon to the ice? where did he look like a ***** exactly?

The part where he wouldn't shed the gloves and decided to just go for the takedown. I'm not saying he was obligated to fight there since it was a clean hit, but he still looked like a ***** to me.

[russianswede919293 95]

Phaneuf didn't leave his feet, and did nothing wrong. Its a bad situation though. Phaneuf was going for the hit, and as that happened the guy behind Okposo pushed him, he lost his balance and his head went down right as Phaneuf got there for contact.

Just a fluke play, and bad situation.

[Guest micah]

Great hockey game. There has been a lot of exciting hockey so far this preseason. It'sgonna be great year to be a fan, the league keeps getting better and better. The doldrums of the early 2000s are behind us!

[ilmickeyli 40]

i like the dude jumpin off the bench goin got phaneuf

[Drake_Marcus 890]

when? when he was mid-collision knocking out Okposo? or while he was ragdolling a minor league goon to the ice? where did he look like a ***** exactly?

[Drake_Marcus 890]

Phaneuf didn't leave his feet, and did nothing wrong. Its a bad situation though. Phaneuf was going for the hit, and as that happened the guy behind Okposo pushed him, he lost his balance and his head went down right as Phaneuf got there for contact.

Just a fluke play, and bad situation.

This is exactly it. It wouldn't have been this devastating for Okposo if he wasn't pushed headfirst into the hit.

[e_prime 1,936]

Phaneuf didn't leave his feet, and did nothing wrong. Its a bad situation though. Phaneuf was going for the hit, and as that happened the guy behind Okposo pushed him, he lost his balance and his head went down right as Phaneuf got there for contact.

Just a fluke play, and bad situation.

As much as I want this to be a dirty hit... as I do not like Phaneuf. It is not.

This is the kind of hit that gets people analyzing the hell out of video, frame by frame, and it typically is inconclusive.

What I do not like about the hit, aside from being a fan of the Islanders and not liking that Okposo is probably out for a while,

is the fact that this is the PRE-SEASON and Phanuff goes out of his way to deliver a devastating hit like this.

My gripe primarily is that Phaneuf comes over and leaves his assignment to deliver the hit.

It's not as if Phaneuf is covering for some defensive gaff made by his partner in a game that matters.

He's looking to make a big splashy hit... IN PRE-SEASON.

I mean, is Phaneuf struggling to make the roster or something?

Does he want everyone to remember what he's there for?

It's an entirely unnecessary play for a meaningless game.

Would love to see Phaneuf answer for his overzealous play with some fisticuffs with Reich, not the overzealous Morrency (who left the bench?!?!?!) ...but I don't see that happening.

EDIT: uh.... spelling. sheesh.

Edited September 18, 2009 by e_prime

[SDavis35 140]

Does anyone think that the Olympics may have something to do with the intensity of the preseason? Or is that idea too far out there?

Phaneuf would be playing for a spot on Canada if I'm not mistaken... (and I could be, I haven't kept up with the olympic camp)

[e_prime 1,936]

Does anyone think that the Olympics may have something to do with the intensity of the preseason? Or is that idea too far out there?

Phaneuf would be playing for a spot on Canada if I'm not mistaken... (and I could be, I haven't kept up with the olympic camp)

I'm doubting this is the kind of impression you want to make for the Olympics.

I would not be surprised if Phaneuf was chastised by some of his own teammates for the reckless hit in preseason.

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

That was a crazy game that was for sure, and it's only preseason!!!!!

[kidish 0]

The hit was clean. Anaheim defenseman Wiz (f*** spelling it out) had a similar clean hit in their game last night that resulted in the same action -- but no injury, and at least he dropped the gloves.

Big hits in preseason are expected from the young guys, the folk fighting for roster spots. But this one was real ******* unnecessary. Sure, it was clean, and as a player you never miss a chance to ring the bell of a rookie -- gotta teach 'em to play with their heads up. But this one was too much.

Bad form.

Hope someone kicks the s*** out of Phaneuf. (He's had it coming for a couple years since he loves him some elbowing to the face.)

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

gotta teach 'em to play with their heads up. But this one was too much.

In this instance Okposo was being shoved from behind and couldn't really do anything about it. I wouldn't expect a player to pass it up during the season but during the preseason he ought to have showed some mercy.

[Doc Holiday 0]

The hit was clean. Anaheim defenseman Wiz (f*** spelling it out) had a similar clean hit in their game last night that resulted in the same action -- but no injury, and at least he dropped the gloves.

Big hits in preseason are expected from the young guys, the folk fighting for roster spots. But this one was real ******* unnecessary. Sure, it was clean, and as a player you never miss a chance to ring the bell of a rookie -- gotta teach 'em to play with their heads up. But this one was too much.

Bad form.

Hope someone kicks the s*** out of Phaneuf. (He's had it coming for a couple years since he loves him some elbowing to the face.)

As a player I would never pass up a hit.

100%, all the time. No excuses.

[Guest micah]

As a player I would never pass up a hit.

100%, all the time. No excuses.

I agree with this. Preseason or not, I expect every single player to skate every single shift with everything he's got. No coasting. Pass like you mean it, shoot like you mean it, hit like you mean it.

[Jesusberg 1,256]

I think it's dumb as hell for Phaneuf to hit a guy like that in the pre-season. If it were, say, Jamie Tardif looking to make a big impact, ok. Phaneuf is the #1 defenseman in Calgary's system. Just what exactly was he looking to prove? The guy has always been a bonehead, and I think this just adds to it.

I'm going to go watch Jarkko Ruutu trip him now... several times.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

The Islanders need a guy like Lilja, who can stand up for teammates who just got hit by Phaneuf.

[kidish 0]

As a player I would never pass up a hit.

100%, all the time. No excuses.

Exactly, and the big hits will happen in preseason as well as postseason. But to see this kid getting tripped up and then moving completely out of position for it?

He wasn't making a routine hit, he was zeroed in on laying out that player specifically. Head-hunting is NOT the same as going 100% all the time.

[Guest micah]

The Islanders need a guy like Lilja, who can stand up for teammates who just got hit by Phaneuf.

Thankfully, the Wings went out and got Burtuzzi to fill the "fight Phanuef to a boring draw" roll after Lilja got hurt. It's a very important role, half-assing a fight against Dion Phaneuf.