Finnish Wing

Every single one of Filppula's points (including goals) were secondary assists.

Are you really that stupid? Secondary assist can be much more important than the primary assist in many situations. If you have watched hockey you'd know that. Fore-checking the puck away for example and creating a 2on1 situation is much more important than eventually the pass that the other guy makes in that situation.

Well I think it's always kinda harder to move when you're injured. Especially with a leg injury.

Ericsson was given more ice time with the thought that he'll play better, and be more of an asset to the Red Wings...Unfortunately it didn't turn out that way; Hudler may very well be the same.

As a defenseman, when you get more ice time you get more chances to screw things up and make mistakes that lead to goals. When you're a forward, however, you get more chances to score goals and make plays.

I think there are more guns and violence in the U.S.

It seems that everytime when KHL is discussed here the influence of cold war propaganda and the attitude of that time lifts its head. After so many years its still stuck in people's minds.

I agree. I don't rate USA any higher than Russia.

Fire Holland because he let a 33 year old go? I guess all his success in the mid to lower level draft picks mean nothing to you?

Man you really think I love Swedes? : D

I always loved this guy. We should've never let him go. You all remember how I said we did a terrible mistake when we didn't resign him? We should fire Ken Holland, he knows absolutely nothing. I'm still a big Samuelsson supporter. I've always loved Swedish players so much!

Serious question, how much NHL hockey did you watch before the rule?  It really wasn't the way you might immagine it was.

   And I do not think that removing the instigator rule is all that is needed to stop cheapshots - it is one step of many that should be taken.

Penalize blindside hits, remove the instigator, outlaw hard pads, get serious about suspending offenders.  That would be a good start.

   In the event that there would come a time that league thugs started forcing Dats and those like him into fights, I would want to see that addressed.  I don't think it would become an issue, as it wasn't an issue before.

As I said in the other thread. Removing the instigator would just create an another way to hurt player with diry way. If players do cheapshotting now, I can easily imagine to hurt the players they want when the rule is removed.

If guys do cheapshotting now, I have no trouble imaging guys beating innocent players if the instigator is removed. If you wanna hurt someone you could just start beating him, because it would be allowed. That's just an another opportunity to be dirty.

I do think the pre-instigator NHL was more violent and less about actually playing hockey than it's today.

So basically it's worked like I said. You can use your "Boogaard" to beat the s*** out of "Datsyuk" without any penalty? I think that when you start hitting someone when the other guy isn't doing anything to you it's just as bad as cheapshotting. Both should be rewarded with suspensions.

Also, as you mentioned, he is the cheap cowardly little ***** that BIT Andrew Peters?

Peters, Kaleta, Lapierre... all cheapshotters themselves! He's just handing some justice that's all. It's kinda different when you take out the other team's star player. And BTW Ruutu did fight after that Lapierre hit. So obviously the fighting didn't solve anything there.

Personally I think it would be just outrageous that you could just start beating the s*** out of other player without them agreeing to a fight.

This would basically mean that without the instigator penalty you could send your "Boogaard" to just beat the hell out of the other team's "Datsyuk" for example.

If you wanna see fighting just for the sake of fighting go watch boxing or wrestling. This is hockey and IMO the fights are part of this game when two men agree to fight each other.

O.K. so I called out a Finn for being cheap.  Big deal.

I don't think Ruutu has left cheapshotting behind, no matter what kind of season he's having.  

What did he do an interview where he promised he wouldn't run anybody into the boards illegally or something?

Well I think he just has been changed. And I think he was never comparable to a guy like Cooke. Ruutu is actually a wise player.

I can't even remember many examples of actual cheap shots by him now that I think about. Other than the Jagr hit in some international game. I think biting someone's finger nowhere near cheapshotting when you compare it to those headshots.

You probably remember last year, when I wanted us to pick that Finnish kid Rajala.

But this Granlund. This guy is definitely someone we'd like to have. Even though Rajala managed to put up record-high points in WJC, he never proved much in Finnish league. But Granlund has been one of the best players here in Finnish SM-liiga this season. Started the season as a 17-year-old playing with MEN in the toughest league in Europe.

He has 37 points in 39 games which is remarkable for a rookie. He has already broken some of the earlier rookie records by guys like Saku Koivu, Olli Jokinen and Teemu Selanne.

I don't know if he will be there when our turn comes. Some projections has him in the top5 and most in the top10. But as said, he's a small Euro so he could well be available later.

It was an EXAMPLE. DON'T YOU GET IT?

Counter arguments like "Boogaard is not a dirty player" or "Richards can also cheap shot" don't mean s***.

The point was that you can still do it like that without the instigator. It doesn't remove anything. There are still plenty of players who can take your star player out who aren't afraid to get beaten after it. Don't you get it?

The referees and the league are there to hand the justice. Just if you don't have players who can fight, doesn't mean that you have to stand s*** like that. You don't have to "defend" yourself against acts like that.

Getting a beating is nothing compared to missing playing entire games. The players wanna play. Suspension is the only real punishment.

I know you tough guys like watching hockey fights, but they solve nothing. It's like in some Asian countries were crimes have actually increased after death penalty. Removing the instigator penalty may decrease the amount of dirty hits, but you still shouldn't be alone defending your team from s*** like that. Like I said, the referees are there to make justice happen.

Yeah, it's pretty sad how guys like Matt Cooke and Jarkko Ruutu have replaced players like Tony Twist and Stu Grimson.

I'd rather see a return of the talentless enforcer than to have these cheap shotting pricks who just want to end a player's career.  

Even if these dirty punks have the skill to be a contribution to the team offensively, I don't want to see them in the NHL anymore.

Excuse me? This guy has had his best season so far and has totally left the cheap shotting behind. Don't even try to compare him with Cooke.