Confirmed with Link: Unified Suspension Theory (Thornton Gets 15, Engo Gets 5)

[The Pope*]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xBROOvbjts

Don't see the puck anywhere there.

**** Boston.

You are right it's a bull-crap hit. This is why we need to take away the instigator rule. When the players police themself this crap won't happen at least the amount of this crap will drop

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Neal's not a repeat offender by the league's definition and Marchand didn't miss a shift.

I don't see it being more than 2 games, but maybe I'm off.

 

[vanboy99]

Bruins are the most disgraceful team in the league...Marchand has hid behind goons Thornton, Lucic, etc. for too long and got what he deserved. No way Neal feels the urge to knee almost any other player in the league....what goes around comes around.

 

[Ugene Magic]

The league is not sending the right message if Thorton isn't suspended for the rest of the season.

Neal should get the max too.

Lets not forget each case is done on its own accord and it really doesn't matter to whether they had suspension history or not. Both did inexcusable things to other players.

Neal the full 5 games. It should be more though.
Thorton the rest of the season off.

You want to rid the league of stuff like that it has to be more than what players are willing to give up. That's 52 games and roughly 2/3's his salary of 1.1.

 

[ColePens]

We had a non-hockey play after the whistle where a guy runs up, slew foots, and punches a player who cannot protect himself.

It's the most disgusting thing that can happen. A clear message needs to be sent.

 

[heretik27]

Neal's not a repeat offender by the league's definition and Marchand didn't miss a shift.

I don't see it being more than 2 games, but maybe I'm off.

That whole injured or not as a result of the play really irks me. Players making dangerous or stupid plays need to be held accountable even if the guy doesn't miss a shift or game. It sends the wrong message to players that the punishment is only severe for stupid plays that put players out for multiple games when in reality certain plays should just never happen. For example, if Orpik doesn't get hurt from what didn't appear to be severe punches do you think anyone would even be talking about Thornton being suspended? He'd likely have been given a match penalty at worst and everyone would have moved on.

No. Preventable garbage like this above example needs much worse punishment than the typical see us in 2-5 games Shanny treatment. If you want this garbage out of hockey you need to set an example and now is better than later. We don't need players sitting in hospital's with concussions and whatever other can spawn of the actions.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I'm not getting the "5 games" call for Neal. How often do you see a 5 game suspension when the recipient doesn't even miss a shift?

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

That whole injured or not as a result of the play really irks me. Players making dangerous or stupid plays need to be held accountable even if the guy doesn't miss a shift or game. It sends the wrong message to players that the punishment is only severe for stupid plays that put players out for multiple games when in reality certain plays should just never happen. For example, if Orpik doesn't get hurt from what didn't appear to be severe punches do you think anyone would even be talking about Thornton being suspended? He'd likely have been given a match penalty at worst and everyone would have moved on.

No. Preventable garbage like this above example needs much worse punishment than the typical see us in 2-5 games Shanny treatment. If you want this garbage out of hockey you need to set an example and now is better than later. We don't need players sitting in hospital's with concussions and whatever other can spawn of the actions.

It can irk you, but the fact is that it the NHL does take it into consideration when determining discipline.

When they stop doing that, we can talk about more severe punishments for Neal and a lot of other incidents around the league.

 

[ColePens]

RRP, I HATE saying an injury needs to happen to suspend. That is stupid. The problem is they cannot 100% say it was on purpose, even though it was. Neal is an idiot and shouldn't have done it. 2-3 would be ideal at this point.

I'm also ALL FOR the NHL sending huge messages right now. They need to before another guy gets paralyzed or someone ****ing dies on the ice because this crap needs out of the game.

 

[Ugene Magic]

I'm not getting the "5 games" call for Neal. How often do you see a 5 game suspension when the recipient doesn't even miss a shift?

You have intent there. Video is a hard thing to deny.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xBROOvbjts

Don't see the puck anywhere there.

**** Boston.

Ever since Greg Campbell was traded there they have been completely protected by the NHL. It's sickening how many ignorant people are fans of that team.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

RRP, I HATE saying an injury needs to happen to suspend. That is stupid. The problem is they cannot 100% say it was on purpose, even though it was. Neal is an idiot and shouldn't have done it. 2-3 would be ideal at this point.

I'm also ALL FOR the NHL sending huge messages right now. They need to before another guy gets paralyzed or someone ****ing dies on the ice because this crap needs out of the game.

I agree with all of that Cole, but injury has been a huge contributing factor in determining discipline.

I'd like for them to take it out of their criteria. But I'd rather not have them decide to do so arbitrarily, without warning, in the middle of the season. Why should they change their standards for this incident?

 

[BrookswasHere44]

I love you Brooks

 

[HuskerTornado]

Kelly Chase is a total idiot. He's still spewing non-sense about this on NHL Network tonight, acting like it happens every game... Comparing guys punching each other while standing to a guy slewfooting someone then proceeding to pound his face while he's laying indefensible on the ice. Also still blaming Orpik for not paying for his hit with a fight in the first place.

Incredible.

 

[#66]

Kelly Chase is a total idiot. He's still spewing non-sense about this on NHL Network tonight, acting like it happens every game... Comparing guys punching each other while standing to a guy slewfooting someone then proceeding to pound his face while he's laying indefensible on the ice. Also still blaming Orpik for not paying for his hit with a fight in the first place.

Incredible.

He had the line of the night last night... " Neal comes across and elbows him with his knee"

His brain cells must be like three tic tacs klinking around in that cross eyed head.

 

[Waffle Fries]

Neal's not a repeat offender by the league's definition and Marchand didn't miss a shift.

I don't see it being more than 2 games, but maybe I'm off.

Yepp I agree. Whether it's right or not, the NHL does tend to look at result more than intent. I think Neal gets 2 games. I really doubt he gets more than 3.

Another contributing factor is while it seems pretty clear Neal kneed him on purpose, that's still not something that can be totally proved.

 

[NatureBoy]

With all the talk about those incidents, I really think the league will come down hard on both players. And I think they should! As a Pens fan I don´t want players on "my" team doing crap like that!

It will be interesting how many games Neal will get, but I think he will get 5 games. Thornton on the other hand should get at least 10, if not more, because of injury. Why Orpik should be suspended is just beyond me and total BS imo.....

But stuff like that has no place in hockey! What I don´t get is, that now there is this huge finger pointing, back then when Steckel blindsided Sid nothing happened and next to no one made that big of a deal of it.....strange.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

He had the line of the night last night... " Neal comes across and elbows him with his knee"

His brain cells must be like three tic tacs klinking around in that cross eyed head.

This is what you get when you employ a former goon with 2 working brain cells as an analyst.

It's no surprising the two dumbest comments came from Kelly Chase and PJ Stock, two guys who had a combined 2,540 PIMs in a mere 693 combined games. These guys are employed because what they say is stupid and gets people to react, not because they're analyzing anything. We're at a point of time where sports analysis is little different than the Jerry Springer Show.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I think the official "repeat offender" status that goes away after 18 months only matters for the fines. He can still be treated as a repeat offender for suspension time I believe.

 

[MeticulouslyDishevel]

Meal should get more than 5 (he won't). Thornton should get at least 15 (again, probably won't).

This ******** won't be removed from the game until the Neanderthals that run it are out of it.

 

[terex]

I bet Neal only gets 1-2. No injury on the play, possibly unintentional (although I don't think anyone actually believes that).

 

[ByeBye]

I don't really know where to put this / I don't know if anyone has seen this, but just thought I'd share this gem with everyone

Sean Avery
‏@imseanavery
Just saw the chicken **** moves by Orpik and Neal......maybe lying on the ice knocked out will make u think twice....#16

If it was up to this bag of ****, Thornton should't get anything! I sure missed this ****er, DIDN'T EVERYONE ELSE?!?!

Jesus, why didn't his skates throw him in the Hudson river?

 

[Allie Kitsune]

Actually expecting Neal (8-10 games) to get a longer suspension than Thornton (1-3, if at all).

Because Boston.

 

[wgknestrick]

The NHL is a joke and has its elite players in the same league with 'roid raging felons. Fix it!!!

It would be naive to think there really is a line that separates them (outside of the "felons" part which I don't agree with at all).

What I'd like to see:

Neal gets 5 (should have more, but that's the max they can give him now). He should get 10 IMO.

Thorton gets 20-25+ fine. It's only suspensions of this size that CHANGE people's actions and prevent this. Ask Cooke. I think this is worse than anything Cooke has ever done too. Defenseless player AFTER the whistle? Bend over Thorton. You don't go down the "star" path in the NHL suspension flow chart for this.

Also put me in the group that would like to see Orpik's hit out of the game. It was technically clean to the current rules, but anyone who has ever been hit like that, knows it is very dangerous and most likely, unnecessarily violent. It does not condone any of the retaliatory actions however. How does Eriksson avoid that hit? Either he skates away from the puck and allows Orpik to make a play on the point, or takes a bone crushing hit. He had no control over the pass, and would get chastised if he "cowered" and avoided the puck. It was not a suicide pass either because it took a bad bounce off the boards.

If you think it has a place in the game, you must like watching all these replacement players play for the more talented starters.

The refs (just like they seem to be in every BOS game) are the real ones responsible for letting this get out of control IMO by not calling the penalties as they happen on the ice.

Neal is so stupid for a talented player. Orpik gets his "concussion suspension" for the hit he made. BOS loses one of their best wingers (for most likely a LONG time), and a decent 4th line player. We all lose.

 

[wej20]

Funny thing is Thornton performed a very similar timing hit on Megna at around 14.50 after Niskanen slid the puck up to Megna and Thornton comes in and catches Megna just as the puck gets there.