Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Penguin shitheads concussing bruins is nothing new to the NHL. Par for the course.

Neal having a phone call means he's probably only getting 5 max. What a joke.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

He deserves 10 at least. I think since Marchand got up it helped 'Kneel's case. Not that i agree with that.

I agree with this, I think it would've been fair if him and Thornton got close to matching suspensions but that doesn't look like the case.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Hah exactly. "The code" is bullshit and this is just another example of "the code" causing more injuries than it prevents.

Cue everyone crying about how fighting in hockey is necessary. Hockey people. The only people who think adult men throwing bare fists at one another's heads prevents head injuries. :lol

I can't stand how you always bring up the fighting isn't necessary. I don't agree with Thornton's actions but I understand. The hit on Loui looked like a dirty hit in regular time, slow motion not so much. Thornton tried to fight Orpik earlier and he wanted nothing of it. Someone like Boychuk steps into fight every time he throws a hit like Orpik did, I bet if Orpik drops there it's over. Thornton gets a penalty and they score so I'm sure he's upset about that. Then he finally sees the the knee from Neal and had enough, he lost his cool and he knows he was wrong even admitting it after.

It's just like John Scott, I still think for the most part Scott is a stand up guy he knew he was wrong when he hit Loui and Thornton knows what he did last night is unacceptable. He will be punished and he should be, he lost his cool.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Staal looks like he might miss some time again with a head injury. Love the guy, but the rangers might want to try and deal him instead of Del Zotto. Marc Staal just misses too much time, and they could probably get a good return on him in a trade. Hate it for him and his career, but NY needs someone who is going to be on that blue line consistently.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Uh oh. Crawford injured. Hawks' goalie depth is really bad after Raanta.

Every team in the league is in trouble if their #1 and #2 goalies go down.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Miller time!:bounce Kevin Miller with his first Bruins goal. Johnson doing well in net.

What a terrible call on Seidenberg

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Not the Kings, at least their #3 is starting strong thus far.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Yes for most teams. But the problem for the Hawks is their "#2" was terrible anyway and probably should be retired.

Hawks might be rolling 2 rookie goalies going forward.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

The Lucic train is in full swing. All aboard!!!

Aaaaand there goes another defensive player. How do you not call Phaneuf on that hit?!

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

awful non-call on that boarding.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

nighty night Toronto.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Wonder if any Hawks fans miss Bickell in the lineup. He has been out for a while and I always forget because you never notice him when he is on the ice. Maybe some team out there will take his contract off the Hawks' hands for a few sticks and a bag of pucks?

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

I've said it once, and I'll say it again--James Neal is a piece of shit.

I'd rather have Thornton go and knock him out than Brooks Orpik.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

5 for Kneeler

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

orpik should not have to fight, especially since his hit was clean, that's dumb

Neal dumb for targeting head, should get 10 games min.

Thornton just as dumb for sucker punch, should get 10 games min.

NHL goonery and "policing" at an all time dumb

pens bruins on saturday was a fucking joke and an embarrassment to both cities and the league as a whole

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Just backreading through some of the comments made over the weekend, and I'm troubled that some are taking such a near-sighted approach to the value of hockey role players. This is going past the B's/Pens incident and just looking at what makes a player valuable.

Let's be clear: Shawn Thornton will not score 20 goals in a season. He generally will not play more than 10 minutes a night. But is he valuable to a team? Absolutely. Yes, he fights. But he can also skate well, plays responsibly enough in all three zones, has a good shot when he uses it, and is exactly the kind of team player you want on your roster - someone who will hold everyone on his team (including himself) accountable and will have your back no matter what.

If you're building a team from scratch, you don't just look at a list of the top point producers over the past three years and try to acquire them all. That would be the Rangers approach. Instead, you look at what you want your team dynamic and culture to be, identify roles to fit within that dynamic, and then construct a team accordingly. Stats (as are so often quoted here) don't tell the whole story. As was pointed out by another poster here (can't remember who), third and fourth liners playing WITHIN THEIR ROLE can be just as valuable to a team as their top scorers. Remember how instrumental that third line in Anaheim was during their Cup run? You can't base total value off of stats. You simply can't.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

I hate this logic.

Taking fighting out of the game (people getting kicked out of the game or suspended) is not going to prevent that situation from happening. One guy lost his cool, pulled another guy to the ground and punched him.

You can't take people losing their temper out of the game. Don't be silly.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

you know there is a difference between role players and goonery right?

matt cooke was (and still is) a great role player, who could skate, hit, score and irritate...but when he throws elbows at heads, he then becomes a goon and there is no place in hockey for that

just like there is no place in hockey for what neal did, nor for what thronton did, period.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

My friend, I have a definite understanding of roles/titles/whateveryouwanttocallthem in hockey. Anyone can resort to goonery. Patrick Kane can resort to goonery. Crosby can resort to goonery. Ryan Miller can resort to goonery. Patrick Roy can (and still does) resort to goonery This is evidenced completely by what you said about Matt Cooke. Hockey players can do goonish things without being a goon. I do not consider Thornton a goon, although he (like many others) have done goonish things.

Regarding the bolded, I'm not sure if you're just trying to make an overall statement, or if you're still replying to me. I made it clear in my post that I wasn't directly referencing the events of this weekend's game. I was not and I will not defend cheap actions. Those around here know me better than that.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

To be clear, hitting a player while he's down is one of the most gutless, despicable things that can be done in hockey.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Really just think its dumb to expect someone to fight over a big hit.
Also dumb that people make excuses for any of this. Oh if he fought it would have diffused it. Juliens comments in particular are nothing but victim blaming.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

I do not like this as well. A blatantly cheap shot? Yes, there may need to be some accountability there. But for a hard, clean check? Nope, no need for a player to have to get his face punched in for being technically proficient at delivering body checks.

Now, regarding Orpik's hit on Eriksson, that's a bit borderline. I don't believe there was any malicious intent, other than just trying to deliver a hard check, but some head contact was made and it looks like he was aiming high. Not as obviously egregious or malicious as some recent hits have been, so I'm interested to see what the league does.

The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Whether you find it dumb or not, it's what happens. It happened to Johnny Boychuk just this year against the Stars. He had a clean big hit but someone on the Stars (can't remember who) didn't like it and they dropped the gloves.

Like I've said multiple times in here Thornton was in the wrong and I don't agree with his actions, but he lost his cool and I can understand why he did. Especially since the Penguins have a history of hurting our players.

Re: The NHL 2013-14 Thread
 

Oh I know it happens.