OT: Around the NHL: The Stretch Run

[Ignatius]

I would have been satisfied if the DoPeS said Keith was suspended for the remainder of the season AND Round 1. Don't worry about a specific number because no one will be satisfied. What will make a statement and truly have an impact, 6 games is meaningless and in no way a deterrent.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Five meaningless games and one playoff game is an absolute joke.

"Here, have a vacation after your second offense of viciously and intentionally hacking at a guy's face with your stick. Be sure to rest up and come back fresh for your redemption story in the playoffs."

**** the NHL.

 

[BlackGoldGreen]

Five meaningless games and one playoff game is an absolute joke.

"Here, have a vacation after your second offense of viciously and intentionally hacking at a guy's face with your stick. Be sure to rest up and come back fresh for your redemption story in the playoffs."

**** the NHL.

Agree the suspension is light, but Coyle did hack him in the face right before though, just to be fair.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Hack him in the face? He definitely cross-checked him in the chest, and it may have rode up a bit, but to say he hacked Keith in the face is just blatantly false.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I want Chicago to lose so bad. Keith is such a turd.

The Hawks have long been my second favorite team (not just because I spent 12 years in Chitown), but man, the fact that they don't get the pushback by the league and fans that we got for Orpik and Cooke is mindboggling. Keith is just as likely to end someone's career with his stickwork as Orpik or Cooke were.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I'm not condoning it in a moral sense. I'm just saying it probably works.

Yeah, I missed that. Sorry for jumping on you.

I mean, on the one hand I sympathize with that outlook-- you gotta protect yourself since the league's not doing it. On the other hand, I think the league not dealing with this in a systematic fashion leads to way more dirty play. Either have the so-called Code and deal with that, or treat every stick infraction/attempt to injure the same.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I understand the league is complete **** at protecting it's players, and punishing egregious infractions on the ice. Still, there's absolutely no place in the game for what Keith's done--twice. He should've had the book thrown at him, and been made an example of. Instead, he got a slap on the wrist and it's not gonna make him or anyone else think twice in the future.

And I disagree with the idea Keith did it as an "eye for an eye" thing. He snapped, there was no purpose behind it other than Keith wanting to take his stick to Coyle's face.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I absolutely agree that something like that has no place in the game. When you start hauling off on opposing players with your stick... that's getting into the kind of territory where you are potentially ruining other guys' livelihood.

On the other hand... I completely see where billy is coming from on this. This is simply the road the league has CHOSEN to take. When all you do is talk a whole bunch about protecting your players (you know... the league's greatest asset) but take very little real action when appropriate... then vigilante "justice" is gonna be common. Keith understands (particularity as a star player on the darling Blackhawks) that it's in his best interests to take the inevitably piddly suspension while further cementing his reputation as the kind of guy who will straight end your career if you piss with him. Is it reprehensible behavior? Yeah. Is it also brutality effective if you are Duncan Keith? Yeah.

It's all backwards as hell and nothing you'd ever want to see creep into your favorite sport. But it's enabled and practically encouraged with as pathetically corrupt, ineffective, petty and consistently inconsistent the DoPS is. Not to mention the further worship of "hockey culture" and the old boy's club mentality that permeates the league. Pound of flesh... eye for an eye... all that.

 

[HandshakeLine]

The thing is, it's even just ersatz "hockey culture". If you tried Keith's kind of stick work in the 70s or 80s, you'd have full on bench-clearing brawls on your hands and some legitimately ugly retribution coming your way.

I get not wanting to have that sort of chaos and violence in the league anymore (though I'm always in favor of a good scrap), but at the same time, the DPoS is tacitly condoning an even worse version of hockey culture where certain players are encouraged to play VERY dangerously because of star power and bias, which leads them to getting away with things like Ovechkin's blatant knees and attempts to injure and Keith's stickwork.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

The thing is, it's even just ersatz "hockey culture". If you tried Keith's kind of stick work in the 70s or 80s, you'd have full on bench-clearing brawls on your hands and some legitimately ugly retribution coming your way.

Yeah.

The league has found itself in kind of a weird spot where they've managed to nearly eliminate fighting from the game and the idea of allowing players to police themselves via brawls. But they've simultaneously allowed a myriad of other (often much more dirty and potentially destructive) antics to escalate without meaningful punishment.

If you want to completely take on the responsibility of "cleaning up" the game... fine. I get the need to do that. Take one look at what the NFL is going through and I can understand trying to get out in front of things. But there is going to have to be consistency, professionalism and transparency to the whole process. Not this dog and pony show we've seen so far.

It really brings things into focus when you start browsing through all of these unsealed emails. Yikes. I knew it was bad... I didn't think it was THAT bad.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Yeah, I get that fighting has to go to some degree given the worries about brain trauma and the recent sad ends of several enforcers due to that sort of thing. But it's only a matter of time before someone loses an eye (again) due to some intentional stickwork ala Ulf Samuelsson on Pierre Mondou the way Keith's going. And not to mention, it's crazy to want to cut down on fighting due to health reasons and completely ignore people like OV taking runs. It's not like you get a different kind of brain trauma from a blindside hit versus a punch.

 

[Harv]

 

[66-30-33]

Looks good on you Lundqvist. Getting pulled that is. Hope Sabres can hold on, please get a hattrick ROR.

 

[TNT87]

4-1 Sabres.

 

[tom_servo]

Go Sabres.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Lol Henrik.

 

[TNT87]

Wow. The Sabres killed off a 2:00 5 on 3.

 

[Harv]

Rangers lose. Rangers lose. Theeeeee Rangers lose.

 

[TNT87]

Thank you Sabres!

 

[sf expat71]

Oh wow Florida.

 

[BHD]

 

[Shockmaster]

Wow....

 

[66-30-33]

To think being ahead of the Rangers for 2nd in division seemed impossible at 1 time. Now we can be 5 points ahead of them! Thanks JR.

 

[tom_servo]

(posted this on the main board)

As per Sportsnet, Datsyuk is considering finishing his career in Russia next season.

His cap hit of $7.5 million would remain with the Wings next year.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/red-wings-datsyuk-leave-russia-season/

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Crazy news out of Tampa!!