Morgan Rielly suspended for five games for cross-checking Ridly Greig in the head (Mod note in OP); upd: Rielly appealing his suspension (upheld)

[StreetHawk]

A disappointing decision. To be fair, what Rielly did was stupid, but he was provoked and almost forced into action due to the breaking of unwritten code, which warranted a retribution. Rielly overreacted but a lesser punishment of 2-3 games would have been more justified, considering the circumstances.

The fact that Reilly got 1 game fewer than Perron, he should be happy with that. This bordered on Hunter on Turgeon decades ago.
Reilly was just stupid to aim for anything higher than a cross check to the lower chest area or elbow area. Sticks can ride up a player's arm/shoulder and if you connect with the head, you're going to be in trouble. Could have kept it to a fine if he aims lower.

Show that aggression during the game, not with 5 seconds to go after a slapshot into the EN.

 

[Relapsing]

Boy, that sure is some gooooooood popcorn

 

[Martin Skoula]

Hey I agree in theory. But think about this practically.

A 4th line fringe player that has a reputation of doing dirty things takes a dirty shot at your teams star player and hurts them. Like an 87/97/86 injured from a dirty play from a nobody.

You think the response is going after the 4th liner?

I don’t. Now…I don’t think the response should be a dirty play laid out on the 4th liners star teammate. But, I do think the 4th liners star players should all be targeted with more CLEAN attention than usual. Simple things like chipping the puck into the corner when their star is on, watch him go in for that puck and then level him with a clean hit. Totally disregard the scoreboard. Then they skate by the bench and tell the 4th liner that was dirty and hurt the star that it’s gonna happen like that for the rest of the game.

I don’t think this is a must to do. But I have zero issue with it. As long as you stay clean. Make the 4th liner/perpetrator and his team pay for his dirty play.

If you choose to employ a Cooke type, you should be just as worried about losing a star to LTIR as the team playing against Cooke, a couple punches to the helmet and a bear hug before the refs step in is never going to change those players behavior one iota. Either make them a risk to their teammates health until they stop getting contracts or give them the Cousins treatment.

 

[mkatcherin00]

No, they don't.

Ya, they don't.

Haas on the Oilers, during the Covid year, took a dumb slapper at the Ottawa goalie with 1.2 seconds left in an Edmonton blowout win lol

Not one person looked at him....

 

[Oleksiak]

Assuming his suspension got upheld? I saw Dangles rage on Twitter.

They're 4-0 without him. Leaf fans should be hoping he gets more games tacked on.

 

[mouser]

Well, I guess you could just read my post but just to help, here's what Bunting got a 3 game playoff suspension for a few games earlier. Look at both and you be the judge. And BTW, a 2 minute interference call against Staal would have meant everything to the Leafs at that point in the series/game so even your dismissal is not what you thought it was.

One glaring difference I see is Bunting hit the opposing player in the head, while Staal hit the opposing player in the chest.

 

[ItWasJustified]

Leafs fans wishing Bettman prolonged the suspension when they see their record without Rielly in the lineup.

 

[Kegu]

Ya, they don't.

Haas on the Oilers, during the Covid year, took a dumb slapper at the Ottawa goalie with 1.2 seconds left in an Edmonton blowout win lol

Not one person looked at him....

Are you sure that happened? I just watched the highlights from every Sens Oilers game that Haas ever played against the sens and the closest I could find was Lagesson taking a weak snap shot with about 1.2 seconds left in the 7-1 blowout March 10th '21

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

One glaring difference I see is Bunting hit the opposing player in the head, while Staal hit the opposing player in the chest.

I can accept that. I think it's a little grey but fine. What I can't accept is not even a 2 minute interference call with 10 seconds left in a game that eliminated the Leafs a few games after our guy got what I think was an overly punitive suspension (almost and annual tradition at this point). And need I remind anyone of the actual play that eliminated the Leafs later in that game?

 

[JLo217]

Sounds like the league wanted to do more. Again, I don't see how people think this has anything to do with hockey.

 

[Ovie's Neighbor]

How much did this deserve with almost nothing left in an elimination game? Spoiler alert, it didn't even get a 2 minute penalty.

It’s not even close to the same thing.

 

[FerrisRox]

Well, I guess you could just read my post but just to help, here's what Bunting got a 3 game playoff suspension for a few games earlier. Look at both and you be the judge. And BTW, a 2 minute interference call against Staal would have meant everything to the Leafs at that point in the series/game so even your dismissal is not what you thought it was.

My dismissal? I answered your question, isn't that what you wanted when you asked it? What do you think I'm dismissing? I don't have the faintest idea what you're talking about here. You asked what that Marc Staal hit on Marner should have got. Of course a powerplay late in a playoff game would have been important. Again, why are you telling me this? What does any of this have to do with Morgan Rielly's suspension?

You asked a question, seemingly to the whole board, and I answered, and now you're talking about Bunting and telling me that I'm "dismissing" something? I feel like you're having a conversation with someone else, cause I don't know what you're talking about or what you're getting at.

 

[FerrisRox]

Simple things like chipping the puck into the corner when their star is on, watch him go in for that puck and then level him with a clean hit.

Can I ask why you don't think a team would try to hit a star player with a clean hit every single chance they got?

Why do you think any team would require their player to be injured by a cheap hit before they tried to level their opponent with a clean one?

This is crazy talk.

It’s not even close to the same thing.

I don't think he's suggesting it is. I don't think anyone would look at that Staal/Marner play and think it was worthy of suspension, that's just silly.

But I am confused why he's showing that play and the one with Bunting.

 

[Ducer]

It’s not even close to the same thing.

Why do I hear Bettman blubbering like the idiot he is.

 

[Hennessy]

Take the lumps. 5 was about the minimum you could expect from that. The appeal was always going to happen but had no chance of changing anything. It was already on the light side of fair.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Tell me how I'm supposed to feel. Do I applaud suspensions, or am I supposed to hate them? It's so gray out there...

 

[Harry Kakalovich]

I don't know why they appealed. That was a pretty obvious suspension.

 

[1909]

Well deserved.

 

[Drytoast]

I don't know why they appealed. That was a pretty obvious suspension.

Because there are plenty of examples of other players doing far worse and either receiving the max monetary fine or no fine at all.

 

[notsocommonsense]

I don't know why they appealed. That was a pretty obvious suspension.

$

 

[Leonardo87]

Was waiting for the appeal news, now time to move onto something else. Too much fan banter. Thanks.