News Article: James Neal: The Poster Child for What's Wrong With NHL Discipline System

[GarrettC]

Former referee Paul Stewart gives his opinion on James Neal.
http://t.co/BNbT873fc2

Click to read more...

 

[IcedCapp]

this entire board owes Crafton an apology.

 

[GarrettC]

While I may not agree 100% with the article, there isn't a doubt in my mind that if Geno and Neal don't get their tantrums under control they will cost us a playoff game or two.

 

[radapex]

While I may not agree 100% with the article, there isn't a doubt in my mind that if Geno and Neal don't get their tantrums under control they will cost as a playoff game or two.

Absolutely. People want to go on about how much of a cryer Crosby is or how easily he loses his cool but, truth be told, he looks like Mother Theresa in comparison to Neal and, to a lesser extent, Malkin.

Penalties/suspensions or not, they are already hurting the Penguins. This is a team that relies almost exclusively on it's top level talent to drive the offense, and we're talking about how easy it is to rattle half of that talent and get them to do something stupid.

 

[penguins2946*]

The Pens organization needs to pull a Cooke on Neal. Either clean it up or get out. I'd much rather have the former than the latter.

 

[DanFailsma]

Furthermore, he’s a player who has acquired the reputation for being a diver.

Never heard that before about him, from anyone.

 

[Black Label]

He just needs to smarten up. He's gotten lucky because he's a star player. If his antics continue though it's not going to end well for him or the Penguins.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Never heard that before about him, from anyone.

He's gotten embellishment calls this season, to the point where the league could have acted. But that could be for other reasons, the NHL's/fans' reaction to things like that are usually funny anyway.

He's a moron and this needs to be handled, his crap ends up biting them in the ass.

 

[IcedCapp]

He's gotten embellishment calls this season, to the point where the league could have acted. But that could be for other reasons, the NHL's/fans' reaction to things like that are usually funny anyway.

I also think this guy has some sort of tilted bias in his tone, despite his protestations to the contrary.

I'm also positive the NHL said they "rescinded" the diving penalty against the Rangers. Not, "ignored the rules because we didn't give Neal a warning after the last one."

This is just another case of the media preying on ignorant (not an insult) readers, tilting their view on a subject because they don't know better/trust the writer as an "expert" on the subject.

 

[penguins2946*]

Never heard that before about him, from anyone.

His reputation is the reason for horrible calls on him, like the trip on Salo on Saturday. The refs know Neal to be slimy. He's not going to get the benefit of the doubt from anyone, which hurts the Pens.

 

[Ugene Magic]

While I may not agree 100% with the article, there isn't a doubt in my mind that if Geno and Neal don't get their tantrums under control they will cost as a playoff game or two.

They already have.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I also think this guy has some sort of tilted bias in his tone, despite his protestations to the contrary.

I'm also positive the NHL said they "rescinded" the diving penalty against the Rangers. Not, "ignored the rules because we didn't give Neal a warning after the last one."

This is just another case of the media preying on ignorant (not an insult) readers, tilting their view on a subject because they don't know better/trust the writer as an "expert" on the subject.

Probably, but Neal has a reputation that's affecting him, it's probably just not of the diving variety. Didn't they decided not to pursue it? Aka "FFS, refs. Look cool, look cool."

The article is a potshot and biased, but it's from a retired ref so what more can one expect? It's pandering and manipulative, with a Despres tone and a high opinion of himself. He missed the point and likely origin of the embellishment calls, but again, ref. But diving would be the least of the problems with what Neal is doing anyway.

TBH, if he keeps getting embellishment calls he'll get the reputation anyway, on top of his other ****.

 

[Rocket of Russia]

Of all the little ****s running around in this league we're singling out James Neal? Ok.

 

[UnrealMachine]

Of all the little ****s running around in this league we're singling out James Neal? Ok.

- Ovechkin: "so much heart."
- Marchand: "don't you wish he was on your team?!? Yes, you do!!!"
- Schenn: "I think I just Pierre'd myself."

 

[radapex]

Probably, but Neal has a reputation that's affecting him, it's probably just not of the diving variety. Didn't they decided not to pursue it? Aka "FFS, refs. Look cool, look cool."

The article is a potshot and biased, but it's from a retired ref so what more can one expect? It's pandering and manipulative, with a Despres tone and a high opinion of himself. He missed the point and likely origin of the embellishment calls, but again, ref. But diving would be the least of the problems with what Neal is doing anyway.

TBH, if he keeps getting embellishment calls he'll get the reputation anyway, on top of his other ****.

It is, but he's not entirely wrong either.

 

[Greeneye]

Neal is a complete bonehead, he is lucky he has talent or teams wouldnt put up with his tantrums. He is a good hockey player but seems like a ****** person.

 

[wgknestrick]

This would involve someone who know what discipline is to talk to him. Good luck finding that person in this org.

 

[tinkezione]

He's gotten embellishment calls this season, to the point where the league could have acted. But that could be for other reasons, the NHL's/fans' reaction to things like that are usually funny anyway.

He's a moron and this needs to be handled, his crap ends up biting them in the ass.

I don't really get that Rangers call the ex referee refers to. To me it looks like Neal is trying to play the puck from slightly awkward position and simply blows a tire. Calling him a diver based on THAT is a world class stretch. From all the other accounts, I'm pretty much okay with the article. Someone in the organization needs to put him in check for moronities like the blatant cross check on Glendening. FWIW, kneeing Marchand at least looked like an accident that people wanted to stretch because Cooke, Pens, filthy organization, rats, whining, diving and whatnot.

 

[DanFailsma]

Neal's a bit of an awkward skater anyway. I've seen him trip (or nearly trip) over his own feet many times. I guess falling to the ice at any point = embellishment/diving. Okay, ref.

 

[Shockmaster]

The author's singling out of Neal is very questionable. The NHL hasn't just ignored any questionable hits from Neal, they've been ignoring questionable hits period since the Orpik-Thornton incident. The NHL received a lot of bad publicity from that incident. Their way of dealing with it seems to be to just ignore all illegal hits, therefore the media will be less likely to pick up on them. Anyone remember Scott Hartnell elbowing Victor Hedman in the head in January? Nope, because that was swept under the rug. As were quite a few other questionable hits between then and now.

To throw one player under the bus shows a lot of ignorance by the author. The NHL isn't letting one player get away with bad hits, the NHL has simply stopped enforcing it's rules altogether.

 

[wgknestrick]

Neal is literally the real life version of Happy Gilmore without the golf thing.

He's even #18, just like Happy Gilmore!

That's my puck, baby!
Don't you ever touch my puck!
Number 18. Is that Gilmore again?
How many times has this guy tried out, anyway? At least ten times.
The guy's got a lot of intensity.
Not a real strong skater, though.
Ain't the best puck handler, either.

Yeah, but my God--
What a shot.
Damn it! Is that goal regulation-size or what?
Geez!
Number 1 , number 52, number 1 6--
They saw my power. Ain't no way they're gonna dog me this year.
Number 9 and number 43.
The rest of you, if your number wasn't called, better luck next year.

Is this not him to a tee?

 

[Jaded-Fan]

- Ovechkin: "so much heart."
- Marchand: "don't you wish he was on your team?!? Yes, you do!!!"
- Schenn: "I think I just Pierre'd myself."

This. It seems that the media has as much of an anti-Pens' agenda as HF does.

And though I would like Neal to rein some of the over the top stuff, the p***yfication of this team since Mario spoke out after the Islander idiocy is far more disgusting to me. If reining Neal in more means completion of the panzification of this team, then **** that.

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

The crappy part is that unlike Cooke, if Neal cut this stuff out it wouldn't diminish his game at all. You're a goal scorer dude. Focus on scoring goals.

 

[Shady Machine]

This. It seems that the media has as much of an anti-Pens' agenda as HF does.

And though I would like Neal to rein some of the over the top stuff, the p***yfication of this team since Mario spoke out after the Islander idiocy is far more disgusting to me. If reining Neal in more means completion of the panzification of this team, then **** that.

All that needs to change with Neal is to stop randomly cross checking dudes in the head or kneeing them and quit diving. None of those things are part of "tough" hockey. Be physical, be balls to the wall, just don't be a moron. It's pretty simple.

 

[Shockmaster]

All that needs to change with Neal is to stop randomly cross checking dudes in the head or kneeing them and quit diving. None of those things are part of "tough" hockey. Be physical, be balls to the wall, just don't be a moron. It's pretty simple.

Or maybe the Penguins should build a real NHL bottom 6 and let them do the agitating so the stars can do their thing.