The Playoff Suspension Thread...

[Dacks]

It seems like the fans made the transition first, at least from reading this board. Most, if not all, of us consider these hits with the utmost scrutiny, never considering the punishments to be long enough, whereas the league is hesitant to start getting serious about sanctions, the officials seem unclear as to what the rules are, and the players are confused as to where the line is that they can't cross.

Yeah, definitely. Which is why I sympathize - slightly - with the players. It's not easy to change the way you play in a season or two. Not to mention that at the minor league and junior levels the hits can get a lot worse, and a lot dirtier. If every minor / junior game was televised, the youtubes alone would make the NHL look like a non-contact league (violence wise).

 

[Darkstone42]

Wow...my posts aren't making the sense I'd like them to. BED TIME! Night all!

The last one did, but goodnight anyway.

 

[Darkstone42]

Yeah, definitely. Which is why I sympathize - slightly - with the players. It's not easy to change the way you play in a season or two. Not to mention that at the minor league and junior levels the hits can get a lot worse, and a lot dirtier. If every minor / junior game was televised, the youtubes alone would make the NHL look like a non-contact league (violence wise).

And that's another thing the NHL needs to look at. These are the circumstances from which the NHL's players are coming. Perhaps they should look into talking with those leagues and getting stricter rules there so that players will be more used to playing clean hockey when they get to the NHL.

 

[elocomotive]

I think every fan has had a player go down... and doesn't want to see it happen again. Clearly removing head shots is a good thing... I want to know there's a protection against another headshot.

What happened between Martina Hingis and myself in the locker rooms at an outer court in Toronto in 2001 is none of your business. I will say this... Martina is not against the headshot, and this fan wouldn't mind it happening again.

Stay classy, San Diego.

 

[quoipourquoi]

What happened between Martina Hingis and myself in the locker rooms at an outer court in Toronto in 2001 is none of your business. I will say this... Martina is not against the headshot, and this fan wouldn't mind it happening again.

Stay classy, San Diego.

Between her and Capriati and Kournikova... damn.

 

[juliansteed]

Agreed with you both, but being the playoffs I see Kunitz getting 1 and downie none

This is what I'm thinking. The problem is that even in the regular season the NHL has been so inconsistent in the past so there is no clear precedent. So its impossible for them to be consistent now. No matter what they do it will comply with some past rulings but not others. Factor in that its now the playoffs and I really don't know what to think.

I think Kunitz should definitely get a suspension and I'll be surprised if he doesn't but I have no idea how long I should expect that suspension to be. If I had to guess I'd say he gets a lenient 1 or 2 games. Downie? Hard to say if that's suspension worthy or not. Because its the playoffs I'm guessing he won't get anything, but if he does it would likely be due to his history or dangerous hits and leaving his feet.

As I type this I'm thinking that maybe the NHL will take the easy way out and give them both short suspensions so they don't have to deal the drama of suspending 1 and not the other, and can use Downie's history as an excuse.

 

[juliansteed]

And that's another thing the NHL needs to look at. These are the circumstances from which the NHL's players are coming. Perhaps they should look into talking with those leagues and getting stricter rules there so that players will be more used to playing clean hockey when they get to the NHL.

Actually I can tell you 1st hand that the QMJHL is very strict. In fact they go overboard. If you hit a guy clean and hard and it makes a lot of noise and the crowd reacts (whether the hit is on their own player or they cheer a big hit against the opposition), its almost a given it will be a 5 minute penalty and sometimes even a suspension. They certainly try to do their part to protect their players but there is a reason they are reffing Q games and not the NHL, and like NHL refs they also don't have the benefit of replay. As far as suspenions go they have limited access to replays. If its away from the play its likely not caught on video at all. If it is caught on video, its likely only from 1 angle and the quality is not the best. Bottom line is that I think the intent is there but the technology and quality of officiating is not. But at least they tend to err on the side of caution, which is protecting the players.

 

[evolver115]

did that happen before or after downie's? just curious as to which one was 'payback'

Downie's was first, but I don't think this was retaliatory, since Downie hit Lovejoy.

Ummmm.... I'm going to have to disagree with ya on this one, dark. Coming from a guy who has played the game, I'm actually surprised to see you say this.

If one of your guys wearing your jersey receives a cheap-shot, no matter who he is, it's practically an unwritten rule that there will be pay-back. It matters very little what the skill level of the player is.

Koon's elbow on Gagne is related to the charge that Downie delivered to Lovejoy. These two events occurred not even five minutes of game time, apart.

And for the record... I'm not defending either of these plays. In fact, seeing Kunitz do this makes me believe that Sid wouldn't go more than a game or two without someone taking a run at him if he attempted a comeback this season.

And because of that, I have serious doubts we are going to see Sidney Crosby come back, this season. The target that would be on his back(head), would be enormous.

 

[SLY]

Penguins... pfft.

 

[evolver115]

Penguins... pfft.

 

[SLY]

 

[evolver115]

Take a look at where Downie's skates are after delivering this cheapie

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning - Photos - April 18, 2011 - ESPN

I hate that motherfucker

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

Honestly though, I don't understand the point of having elbowing as a minor penalty if every elbow is going to be a suspension.

Yeah. You could make the same argument for charging really. To me an elbowing minor is for when two guys are battling along the boards and one catches the other with a high elbow. Ant elbow at speed, or as part of a hit is ATI, for all intents and purposes.

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

Also, Kunitz is a dirty player and gets away with a lot of late shit from behind. Cross checks are his usual mechanism, but he is dirty. However, I do not know if Hejaz any history of being suspended. Three players on Pittsburgh worry me on the ice agains my team, from a cheap shot perspective. Cooke, obviously. Kunitz is underhanded and has total disregard for other players but doesn't have the history of Cooke. Letang is sneaky dirty, usually with a slash and has beengetting worse as well.

Of course I also worry about orpik killing my team's players with legal hits, Crosby snapping their ankles and Fleury devastating their confidence but that is legal....I guess.....

 

[evolver115]

Also, Kunitz is a dirty player and gets away with a lot of late shit from behind. Cross checks are his usual mechanism, but he is dirty. However, I do not know if Hejaz any history of being suspended. Three players on Pittsburgh worry me on the ice agains my team, from a cheap shot perspective. Cooke, obviously. Kunitz is underhanded and has total disregard for other players but doesn't have the history of Cooke. Letang is sneaky dirty, usually with a slash and has beengetting worse as well.

Of course I also worry about orpik killing my team's players with legal hits, Crosby snapping their ankles and Fleury devastating their confidence but that is legal....I guess.....

Kunitz has never been suspended since being on Pittsburgh's roster. I don't know about his time with the Ducks, but since he's been here, he's never had discipline.

And for the record, I don't consider him a 'dirty' player in the same ilk as a Cooke, Ott, Downie... etc. He's physical, and crosses the line in rare situations, but I don't consider him dirty.

 

[Eddie_Shack]

I've only seen the Downie hit on youtube, it was a very clear video but very small so I could be wrong about this; it looks to me like Downie made a very vicious hit, left his feet, and probably took too many steps on his way there. Textbook charging. But it also appeared that he led with his shoulder, didn't target or hit the head, and it wasn't blindside. So why the hearing? At worst a fine, maybe it should have been a match penalty at the time or something but that shouldn't be a suspendable hit. If I'm wrong and there's a better replay showing he was throwing an elbow or going for Lovejoy's dome, then I'll change my stance but from what I've seen it wasn't the worst hit ever. Maybe I watch too much Kronwall.

Kunitz will get a game, he should get 4-5. That was a senseless blindside elbow to the head. That's the kind of shit that has to end, right now.

 

[Forty_Sixand2]

I don't see him on that level either but it seems like in some games, not all, he grows horns and a forked tail. I watch a lot of pens games up here, obviously, and he will play nice and quiet for like 2 weeks and then just go off. As someone else said earlier though, you can take the kid out of Anaheim, but you can't take the Anaheim out of the kid...

 

[Eddie_Shack]

Kunitz has no suspension history, I consider him a bit dirty but in terms of sentencing his play won't factor in. Personally I don't give a shit if it's Nick Lidstrom throwing an elbow like that, they should throw the book at him.

 

[Eddie_Shack]

I don't see him on that level either but it seems like in some games, not all, he grows horns and a forked tail. I watch a lot of pens games up here, obviously, and he will play nice and quiet for like 2 weeks and then just go off. As someone else said earlier though, you can take the kid out of Anaheim, but you can't take the Anaheim out of the kid...

He was like that all the way back at Ferris State, I guess you could say he was born to be a Duck...

 

[evolver115]

I don't see him on that level either but it seems like in some games, not all, he grows horns and a forked tail. I watch a lot of pens games up here, obviously, and he will play nice and quiet for like 2 weeks and then just go off. As someone else said earlier though, you can take the kid out of Anaheim, but you can't take the Anaheim out of the kid...

I think that holds true for quite a few NHL'ers. I'm not condoning Kunitz's latest transgression, but the NHL isn't ballet, and the people who fill out its ranks aren't saints, by any stretch.