Series Thread: Round 2: (2) Pittsburgh v. (1) Washington

[dash]

FWIW, Kerry Fraser thinks Letang should be suspended for one game.

C’Mon Ref: Letang deserves one-game suspension for careless hit

 

[dash]

Man, every post I mention Kerry Fraser earns a dislike from BBB. Oh, right.

 

[esls79]

I went to a hockey game and a poker game broke out.

In the poker game of hockey, head shots are the rake. They are the fucking rake.

 

[dash]

In the poker game of hockey, head shots are the rake. They are the fucking rake.

Esls has alligator blood, he just keeps hangin' around.

 

[Puck082]

I guess 1 game is better than a fine and some other bullshit. You know, had he been suspended for his face-slash against the Rags, he'd be a repeat offender and mighta gotten more. Pens fans should be okay with this and feel lucky.

 

[dash]

I guess 1 game is better than a fine and some other bullshit. You know, had he been suspended for his face-slash against the Rags, he'd be a repeat offender and mighta gotten more. Pens fans should be okay with this and feel lucky.

*Preferential treatment*

 

[pixburgher66]

*Preferential treatment*

I know you're kidding, but honest to god this theory makes me twitchy. From a marketing standpoint, I think the Caps winning may thrill the league a bit more in this instance. In context of other suspensions levied this year, this is pretty much on par. Schenn hit, if there were still playoff games to play, is probably only one game too.

 

[pixburgher66]

It's interesting to me that basically he's only suspended for that .03 seconds. Ruled not head shot and didn't leave his feet (he comes off the ice after the hit, the OV special). I imagine that had a lot to do with one game. But man, .03 seconds.

 

[dash]

I know you're kidding, but honest to god this theory makes me twitchy. From a marketing standpoint, I think the Caps winning may thrill the league a bit more in this instance. In context of other suspensions levied this year, this is pretty much on par. Schenn hit, if there were still playoff games to play, is probably only one game too.

I am kidding - I thought Letang would/should get one game and that's exactly what he got. I did say there was a possibility for two games, but I didn't think that was very likely.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

It's interesting to me that basically he's only suspended for that .03 seconds. Ruled not head shot and didn't leave his feet (he comes off the ice after the hit, the OV special). I imagine that had a lot to do with one game. But man, .03 seconds.

But they did cite "significant head contact" as one of the factors (lateness the other) for the suspension.

 

[Dacks]

The explanation confirms that the league only cares about headshots if there's another penalty on the play, like charging, interference, elbowing, etc...

Personally, I think hits like Letang's should be illegal even if on time. There should be an expectation that players actively try to avoid contact. But the league seems content with head contact as long as everything else is "okay".

 

[forty_three]

But they did cite "significant head contact" as one of the factors (lateness the other) for the suspension.

It wasn't a head shot, it was just head contact; late.

 

[dash]

In other news, is there a goaltending controversy in Pittsburgh? How do you take Matt Murray out of the lineup even if Fleury is healthy the way he is playing?

 

[dash]

Also. does that mean that Justin Schultz draws into the lineup in Letang's spot for game 4?

 

[forty_three]

In other news, is there a goaltending controversy in Pittsburgh? How do you take Matt Murray out of the lineup even if Fleury is healthy the way he is playing?

If you have a frontal lobotomy?



So, I just saw this:

Pierre likes St Cloud State meaty buns.

 

[pixburgher66]

In other news, is there a goaltending controversy in Pittsburgh? How do you take Matt Murray out of the lineup even if Fleury is healthy the way he is playing?

I don't really think there's any controversy. You can't throw MAF into this high stress of a situation when he hasn't played in a month, and you can't take out a kid playing out of his mind. And I think MAF knows that. Now, going into the postseason maybe this shakes things up, but right now it's really a non-story, even if some major media people were trying to make it one.

 

[pixburgher66]

The explanation confirms that the league only cares about headshots if there's another penalty on the play, like charging, interference, elbowing, etc...

Personally, I think hits like Letang's should be illegal even if on time. There should be an expectation that players actively try to avoid contact. But the league seems content with head contact as long as everything else is "okay".

Honestly (and this is an indictment of the league, not me being a homer), if this hit occurs in a less microscope focused situation, I don't think they even look at it. I honestly think that if that Orpik hit doesn't happen, Letang isn't suspended. But the league was essentially "backed into a corner" and forced to be, I dunno, meagerly competent.

 

[pixburgher66]

If you have a frontal lobotomy?



So, I just saw this:

Pierre likes St Cloud State meaty buns.

Intrigued on your take on him as the postseason has gone on. He's still had a few ugly ones (game one second Oshie goal, mostly), and has some occasional moments where he over commits laterally, but it seems like he doesn't have to make many ridiculous saves because he's simply in great position most of the time. But, I'm not really a trained eye in that regard.

 

[dare2be]

Pierre likes St Cloud State meaty buns.

Nah, it was just a retaliation to the stick to the side of the head that Cullen delivered there...

 

[forty_three]

Intrigued on your take on him as the postseason has gone on. He's still had a few ugly ones (game one second Oshie goal, mostly), and has some occasional moments where he over commits laterally, but it seems like he doesn't have to make many ridiculous saves because he's simply in great position most of the time. But, I'm not really a trained eye in that regard.

I seem to keep having other commitments during Caps/Pens games, and I am not sure I've seen an entire game this series. That said, I did see the third last night. My gut feel is... kid's drinking adrenaline from a firehose.

He has great instincts, and to a degree he seems to study his opponents. On the power play last night, he was shading towards OV in that circle pretty bad. Not condemning it, I would too. I think he's looked kind of vulnerable side to side as he doesn't seem to have one defined "move" when the play goes behind the net. Sometimes he stays upright, sometime he scrambles low, sometimes he puts a foot at each post and waits for a move. The Caps are not getting him moving a lot, especially not from behind the net so he doesn't look exposed.

I am curious how he'd react to a quick 2 or 3 from the Caps. He had a ton of confidence in that third and it looked to me like it made him a bit too over-amped. He could have been burned bad a few times, but the Caps just couldn't do it.