37 replies to this topic

[MacK_Attack]

Not sure what is worse, the spear or Neil's dramatic swan dive.


Neil got the only penalty on the play, an unsportsmanlike for diving.

[commadore183]

Not sure what is worse, the spear or Neil's dramatic swan dive.


Neil got the only penalty on the play, an unsportsmanlike for diving.

I don't think the dive that that dramatic, it did look realistic enough for someone who got speared in the gut. Even with the padding and such, it's possible Ovechkin's stick found a seam or one of those gaps and stunned him. Either way, Ovechkin should have gotten a penalty for the spearing. At most now a fine.

[LeftWinger]

not a spear by the definition of the rule, but he did get his stick on him almost like a little jab. Whatever you call it, he disguised it well.

[uk_redwing]

Some good old fashioned hockey right there.

[MacK_Attack]

I don't think the dive that that dramatic, it did look realistic enough for someone who got speared in the gut. Even with the padding and such, it's possible Ovechkin's stick found a seam or one of those gaps and stunned him. Either way, Ovechkin should have gotten a penalty for the spearing. At most now a fine.

Perhaps, but is Ovechkin still considered a repeat offender?

[RedWingsRox]

Ovie got away with one but it did look like Neil 'embellished' but then I've never been jabbed by Ovie's stick before.

[toby91_ca]

not a spear by the definition of the rule, but he did get his stick on him almost like a little jab. Whatever you call it, he disguised it well.

Rule 62.1 - Spearing - spearing shall mean stabbing an opponent with the point of the stick blade, whether contact is made or not.

How does it not fit that definition? He should have gotten a major penalty since a spear that doesn't make contact is a double-minor, one that does is a major. In terms of supplemental discipline, I'm not so sure, he does have a history, but I think it would have to result in injury before you get a suspension. Perhaps the best to have dealt with it would be a fine and then it counts should he do something suspendable in the future.

I don't get the only call for diving though. I understand they might not have seen the spear, but if they didn't, then they are really not sure why he went down and in that case, how could they call anything? My guess is that at full speed, Ovie does really disguised it well and the ref thought that Ovie's stick got close to him on the way by and Niel tried to sell something.


Edit....grammar, although, probably still bad.

Edited by toby91_ca, 08 December 2011 - 09:55 AM.

[hooon]

Looks like a textbook spear to me, whether or not Neil sold it.

I'm not sure if things have changed, but back when I played hockey 10+ years ago, I had absolutely no padding on the lower part of my stomach. Just the jersey and whatever undershirt I was wearing.

So taking a blade right there, even a little chop, can definitely hurt considerably.

[Wings_Toledo]

Didn't really look like much of a dive to me. Looks like Ovie's blade caught him right where the padding stops and I don't care how tough you are, that hurts. I think the ref should have either let it go or call both players, but not just the dive.

[haroldsnepsts]

Definitely a spear. It's hard to tell if Neil was diving or not because it could've caught him between the pads and legitimately hurt, or he could just be trying to get the refs attention.

I'm guessing Ovie gets off scott free because he's a star player and this doesn't involve a player's noggin. STill it's at least worthy of a fine.

Here's his (lying) take on it:

“I try to skate,” Ovechkin said when asked about the play. “I’m not that kind of player. Everybody said it was spear, but I don’t try to spear somebody. We’re all players and I’m not that kind of guy. . . . I was surprised at what happen. I did not know.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capitals-insider/post/capitals-alex-ovechkin-i-dont-try-to-spear-somebody/2011/12/08/gIQAAQ1DeO_blog.html?wprss=capitals-insider

[Hull is God]

Looked like a spear to me. If it wasn't, Neil went a long way to try to save face by leaving the ice. And I don't see him doing that.

[SpiritFan]

Something tells me that Neil will hand out his own form of punishment next time he is on the ice with Ovie. Pretty dirty shot he gave. And the "What? Who me? Nooo... Really?" act from him afterwards was funny. How did you not know you speared a guy?

[sleepwalker]

Didn't really look like much of a dive to me.

Agreed.


Any man knows that if you get hit in that "area", even if it is not a direct hit to the nuts, your bodys natural reaction is to double over like that.


I think the people saying this is an over the top embellishment/dive/whatever, are either women, or guys who have never taken a good hit to the balls or groin before.

[cusimano_brothers]

Has Ovie been working with Hunter?

[haroldsnepsts]

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.

[Krayzie_Bone]

Did not look like much to me. On a side note who was the backup goalie for Calgary that one year in the playoffs maybe 07 when he basically took a baseball swing at Clearys gut? I think it was Cleary.

[haroldsnepsts]

Did not look like much to me. On a side note who was the backup goalie for Calgary that one year in the playoffs maybe 07 when he basically took a baseball swing at Clearys gut? I think it was Cleary.

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

[commadore183]

Perhaps, but is Ovechkin still considered a repeat offender?

Ovechkin is considered a repeat offender under the NHL's CBA (his first suspension was a knee-to-knee hit on Tim Gleason in 2009, then suspended again for a hit on Brian Campbell in March 2010 or so), but I don't think the spear rises to the level of another suspension. A large fine, yes, but a suspension? No. I don't think he's been in much trouble (fined or suspended) since the Campbell hit, a fine would be the most I would expect from the NHL, but who knows.

[rrasco]

You mean this one?



As for Ovie....is the conclusion he did that on purpose? I thought a spear was when you stabbed at a player? Looked incidental to me....but I guess it's not a stretch to think he could of done it on purpose.

[Toefuzz]

Isn't that the same Chris Neil who played for the Griffins? If so, I think I have an autographed game jersey somewhere... probably a puck too