Post-Game Talk: Cole's Plus/Minus: Pens vs. Sens

[AquaticBirdman]

It wasn't intentional but it was reckless and for that Cooke should get a few games (sadly based on his priors).

You're kidding right? It was PURELY accidental, reckless or not. If you suspend Cooke for a few games the only message you're sending is that no matter how much you've cleaned up your act, you're still going to get the short end of the stick regardless.

 

[lastcupever75]

But he could shift his weight just by transferring his body weight to one side. He wouldn't be aided by his foot from the air to the ice. Like I said I have a tough time believing it was intentional, I can't even fathom it. But I can't deny what my eyes see, it looked suspicious.

If u slow it down enough. You could see the skate come down onto the grassy knoll before hitting karlsson's skate

 

[Axman]

I don't think so. Not if the movement he made was as common as everyone is saying. Hell he didn't even fight Neil back at the end. I'm still trying to figure out why he got sent off. I didn't see a Cooke penalty anywhere in the Neil-Cooke sequence. Wondering if he said something afterward.

I think it was to protect him and to keep the lynch mob from forming. Cooke basically got penalized from getting punched in the grill twice.

 

[IHWR]

I guess I don't understand the rules then.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

The other problem with Cooke now is that he's virtually untradeable. Because his reputation precedes him, nobody will want him. We can't throw him into any deal.

Of course, this makes Disco happy because he has found his second-line LW.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Fleury really scares me in the fact that it seems like he hasn't evolved at all over the years. How he continues to allow these inexplicable softies is beyond me. I can only imagine how much better his career stats would be, or how many more games the Pens would've won throughout the years had he not allow such bad goals so often. On top of that his rebound control is still atrocious. I don't get how he still has so much trouble handling rebounds.

Same here, as much as I try to be his biggest fan I'm simply not feeling confident with him in nets anymore. Even when were up 2-3 goals i'm not confident the way I use to be.

 

[Darth Vitale]

I think it was to protect him and to keep the lynch mob from forming. Cooke basically got penalized from getting punched in the grill twice.

That's what I figured but no one was saying that so wasn't sure if I'd missed something prior to when Neil was in his face.

 

[Darth Vitale]

I guess I don't understand the rules then.

Which rule, specifically... is there a rule that states you can't bring your skate up above another player's skates when he's on the boards or something like that? If there is then I guess the league could look at it but seems pretty strange no one (including the league) is mentioning it.

 

[BreakfastatMarios]

With this incident, I can see Cooke being targeted by other teams, and if you have him on the 2nd line with Geno and Neil then that could open up the ice for those 2. Not to mention awakening the sleeping dog that is Cooke. I would like for him to play with that edge, not going over it, but with an edge.

 

[Cardboard Orpik]

No hearing or discipline for Cooke, because every neutral observer can see it was an accident.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

With this incident, I can see Cooke being targeted by other teams, and if you have him on the 2nd line with Geno and Neil then that could open up the ice for those 2. Not to mention awakening the sleeping dog that is Cooke. I would like for him to play with that edge, not going over it, but with an edge.

It's too late for that. The organization has told him to change. Well, he changed and now he's no longer an impact player in the NHL. We aren't going to see the old Matt Cooke anymore. Good for the rest of the fan bases in the NHL. Bad for the Penguins.

 

[dr robbie]

+ Sid. Awesome game. Nice passes. Starting to remember his talent.
+ Ending our longest losing streak since the Pens franchise started (at least, according to some of the posters here...)
+ James the Real Freaking Deal Neal. Is this dude a sniper or what?
+ Our PK in general. Kept the pressure on, minus the shooting gallery at one point.

= Cooke. Up until the incident, he was playing very solid. And to not punch back Neil when he was getting clocked in the face had to be tough, but you could tell he was doing it for the team. I love his heart in the game. I personally think it was an accident, but don't blame others for pointing fingers.
= Martin. I guess he is human. 3 penalties sucked, but we killed them pretty good.
= MAF. You really can't blame him for the trickle in from behind the net. He played as solid as we need him too.

- Martin getting the third star of the game... did I miss something???
- Karlsson getting hurt. Hate seeing anyone get hurt and hope he heals fast.

--- The hate the Pens are going to get even more than usual due to the Cooke/Karlsson incident

 

[Don'tcry4mejanhrdina]

He's still a good player and it's not like he's soft and avoids contact, come on.

As for the accident, it was exactly that, an accident. Things happen, it sucks but he never meant to do it. Anybody who thinks so is an idiot.

 

[jrolley325]

its just all one big conspiracy to senators fans.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

its just all one big conspiracy to senators fans.

and ruins fans

 

[AquaticBirdman]

Based on what I'm reading from the main board, we can officially conclude that Matt Cooke is single handedly responsible for the Kennedy (John F.) assassination, the global recession, the ice caps melting, 9/11, the Palestinian/Israeli war, the holocaust, and Beyonce's Super Bowl half time pics.

 

[jrolley325]

and ruins fans

yep. and now they fantasize about the rest of the league ganging up on cooke to defend the honor of erik karlsson.

 

[BreakfastatMarios]

yep. and now they fantasize about the rest of the league ganging up on cooke to defend the honor of erik karlsson.

Where were these folks when Subban did this to Staal?

 

[IHWR]

Which rule, specifically... is there a rule that states you can't bring your skate up above another player's skates when he's on the boards or something like that? If there is then I guess the league could look at it but seems pretty strange no one (including the league) is mentioning it.

I'm literally going through the rules now.

I guess I was interpreting parts of the high-sticking rule and applying it to their skates..."A player must be in control and responsible for their stick"...but that rule also allows for accidental contact during "shooting motions" (which is why Hossa wasn't suspended for eyeballing Berard) and I'm not sure how applicable it would be to this scenario.

As far as skate violations, the closest you'll find is kicking...and that's not what Cooke did, so that's out.

I guess he shouldn't be suspended? Seems weird to me. I can recall a lot of other scenarios where a player was cut but another player's skate and from my recollection none of those players were suspended (Tuttle on Malarchuk, Zherdev on Bourque, Svatos on Krowall, etc...). The difference to me though is that none of the players who's skates did the slicing were the ones initiating contact and therefore couldn't control them.

I'm not saying the hit was dirty, but it was clearly reckless and more importantly it was unfortunate.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Where were these folks when Subban did this to Staal?

Subban didn't intentionally injure Staal, come on.

 

[Rectify]

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories...ared-in-collision-which-led-to-injury-675381/

No hearing for Cooke.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Subban didn't intentionally injure Staal, come on.

Jags, your inner Subban fanboy is showing.

Anyway, looking at the replays and it doesn't seem to me to be anywhere near as intentional as Bobby Ryan's stomp or Pronger on Kessler.

 

[IHWR]

Does anyone have specifics on the rules for "stomping"? I'm not suggesting that's what Cooke did or didn't do, I'm just curious about the wording and can't seem to find any traces of it in the NHL rules.

I'm just interested in the interpretation of the rules more than anything. I don't think he intentionally did some stompin', but a motion exists...so what was it?

I know players have been suspended for stomping, I just can't find a specific rule for it.

 

[Shrimper]

Nothing wrong with that hit. Just an accident.

Never would've guessed that Neal would score more than Malkin at this point. Malkin looks a shadow of himself.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I don't think there is a specific rule. In the cases I mentioned, the NHL merely said that the play was intentionally reckless. Maybe they should revisit that in the off-season since there's been a lot of weird skate "accidents" of late? Treat it like they do sticks-- you're always responsible for your stick regardless of what else happens on the play.