Injury Report: Vol. 6 (Updates in 1st Post) | Game Day vs. Sens

[Randy Butternubs]

Hypothetically speaking, if I saw Crosby at a bar and hit him in the face with some stool, I would be arrested. However, bars have different rules than an NHL game. I can't go and check someone into the wall and then be placed in timeout. Different rules for different circumstances.

By stool, I meant the furniture.

You know it's bad when I make a poop joke and no one notices or laughs.

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

Who cares what his intent was? I'm sure drunk drivers don't intend to get in wrecks and kill people.

I'm not necessarily saying it's a legal matter. But you're comparing apples to oranges with those other sports. A more apt comparison would be a batter breaking his bat over the pitchers head, or a football player beating down another player with a helmet

Not even close. More like a pitcher throwing at a batter or a football player making helmet to helmet contact.

 

[vodeni]

I am a doomsday kind of guy, but I have a feeling that Sid will be held maximum two games ...say tomorrow skates by himself, friday skate again, saturday ready to roll,

worst case scenario back in pittsburgh for game 6

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Duncan Keith's Coyle incident is a good example. It happened quickly, but there was obvious intent. He was pissed he got knocked down and while lying on the ice swung his stick right in Coyle's face in a deliberate and intentional manner. Niskanen meant to cross check Crosby for sure and was reckless with his stick, but I don't believe he intentionally hit Crosby in the head/face.

I still believe this is a league discipline issue and not a legal matter though except in the rarest of incidents (Bertuzzi, Graves, maybe a few others). Let's apply this standard to other sports. Should a helmet on helmet hit that results in a concussion be subject to a criminal arrest? How about a pitcher intentionally beaning a dude or Dramon Green kicking a player in the nuts?

I wouldn't guarantee that niskanen had no intent to injure. Keith was ludicrously blatant but that doesn't mean niskanen had no intent. Intent also isn't the be all and end all.

Maybe. I think there's a long history of not caring about player safety and players going too far. Maybe police involvement should happen more easily. Something tells me a decent number of players would think twice if criminal charges were a real possibility. You have the cluster**** that is the NHL and the NFL spent years hiding the concussion problem. There a history of leagues being blasé about player safety in the short term and long term.

 

[Pancakes]

And hopefully nobody actually thought that Crosby would go the rest of his career concussion-free after the first one in 2010 or whatever. Because that's just not realistic.

he's up to 3 in a 12 year NHL career. I mean, that's probably fairly average I'd say. It's hard to compare because not many guys even have 12 year careers. He might have a few more before he hangs them up.

Yeah he was bound to get hurt again at some point. Sucks real bad that it's now.

Hopefully this is just a day to day type concussion that he can get over quickly.

 

[Peat]

I think criminal charges should only be brought in sports if the act was one outside the normal risks associated with the game being played in a standard manner. Getting cross checked in the face probably falls under normal risks. What Calvert did to kuhnhackl, that's the sort of thing where starting to think about legal action makes sense.

This was a matter for hockey discipline and that sucks right now.

 

[Shady Machine]

Who cares what his intent was? I'm sure drunk drivers don't intend to get in wrecks and kill people.

I'm not necessarily saying it's a legal matter. But you're comparing apples to oranges with those other sports. A more apt comparison would be a batter breaking his bat over the pitchers head, or a football player beating down another player with a helmet

The reality in hockey is that the stick is used to defend another player. That isn't the case in baseball where the only purpose of the bat is to hit the ball. My example isn't perfect, but it's much closer than a baseball player breaking his bat over the pitcher's head. That's absolutely absurd and would be highly infrequent if it happened.

Okay let's say we don't try to measure intent. How do we define the severity of the suspension? Is it simply whether it causes an injury (which the NHL does now and I have my issues with it)? Is it based on how bad it "looks" in slo-mo? Intent might be hard to determine, but it's important. Sometimes a stick accidentally rides up a player and clips them in the mouth. Other times, a player intentionally slashes a dude in the face.

I'm just curious want people want the NHL to do. I want them to suspend more severely across the board, but I also think the context of the play is very important in that formula.

 

[SirBrad]

everyone predicting if he'll be back this round, next round or next season is just wasting their time and energy. there is no timetable on this.

 

[Shady Machine]

Not even close. More like a pitcher throwing at a batter or a football player making helmet to helmet contact.

I already used those examples and he responded with that.

There really aren't perfect examples, but those were the closest I could think of.

 

[Shady Machine]

I wouldn't guarantee that niskanen had no intent to injure. Keith was ludicrously blatant but that doesn't mean niskanen had no intent. Intent also isn't the be all and end all.

Maybe. I think there's a long history of not caring about player safety and players going too far. Maybe police involvement should happen more easily. Something tells me a decent number of players would think twice if criminal charges were a real possibility. You have the cluster**** that is the NHL and the NFL spent years hiding the concussion problem. There a history of leagues being blasé about player safety in the short term and long term.

Alright let's start arresting them. I just can't wrap my head around how this would even happen.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

What Niskanen and AO did was intentional and dirty, zero doubt in my mind. If the league had any integrity (ya...) they would have been suspended, but I wouldn't call what they did a criminal act.

This is what a criminal act looks like on the rink:

 

[Shady Machine]

I think criminal charges should only be brought in sports if the act was one outside the normal risks associated with the game being played in a standard manner. Getting cross checked in the face probably falls under normal risks. What Calvert did to kuhnhackl, that's the sort of thing where starting to think about legal action makes sense.

This was a matter for hockey discipline and that sucks right now.

Agreed and Calvert's play was intentional and premeditated, even if it happened quickly. So yes, intent should matter.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I think it's hilarious that everyone stoically nods their heads when people say stuff like "These guys are the best of the best. The top 1% of the 1%. Their ability to make plays and react to developing situations in a fraction of a second is what separates them from the rest."

And then cry foul and say stuff like "But it all happens so fast! He can't be blamed!" when ******** like this goes down.

 

[Speed Kills]

Coffey says the league should have looked at Ovi slash.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/sidney-crosby-matt-niskanen-alex-ovechkin-paul-coffey-hit-cross-check-penguins-capitals/

IMO Coffey is absolutely right. Nisky said that his stick was level to Sid's #, but that Sid went low to make his move. Sid did not go low he was just going down because he was already concussed. Ovi hit him right on top of his head and it caused him to lose his legs.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Not only that but he kicked one of his skates out from underneath him.

But, ya know... unfortunate accident. Can't be helped. Hockey play.

 

[HotCoffey]

everyone predicting if he'll be back this round, next round or next season is just wasting their time and energy. there is no timetable on this.

If it was severe do you think he'd be able to go to the arena at all? Might not be a timetable but that's good news for him as a person AND a player.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I think it's hilarious that everyone stoically nods their heads when people say stuff like "These guys are the best of the best. The top 1% of the 1%. Their ability to make plays and react to developing situations in a fraction of a second is what separates them from the rest."

And then cry foul and say stuff like "But it all happens so fast! He can't be blamed!" when ******** like this goes down.

Niskanen had every intent to blindside Crosby there. Anyone of us who has ever played knows exactly what he was doing there, even if they won't admit it. He was going for a huge shot and when Crosby went down, he knew exactly what he was doing. Don't let his BS fool you... he so ****ing stupid he even admitted his intentions were to crosscheck Crosby.

 

[DoktorZaius]

Alright let's start arresting them. I just can't wrap my head around how this would even happen.

It's funny, because as terrible as the result here is, what Ovi did was a hockey play. A reckless and dirty hockey play, one you deserve a penalty for, but it was a hockey play.

As you've pointed out, what Matt Calvert did to Kuhnackl, on the other hand, was not a hockey play. That was an unprovoked battery that wasn't related to the game of hockey. If the results had been worse there, that's the kind of thing that could actually see criminal charges be successfully pursued.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Niskanen had every intent to blindside Crosby there. Anyone of us who has ever played knows exactly what he was doing there, even if they won't admit it. He was going for a huge shot and when Crosby went down, he knew exactly what he was doing. Don't let his BS fool you... he so ****ing stupid he even admitted his intentions were to crosscheck Crosby.

I never even played at a high level and I know that Niskanen had every intention of lighting Crosby up there with a fully-extended cross check. The more unaware, the better. ****... he watched him the whole way and even admitted he intended to X-check him. Just because he didn't mean to maybe catch him right in the earhole because Ovechkin got in on the thuggery on the way past doesn't make it any better.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

What Niskanen did wasn't a criminal act, but it certainly is further evidence for the former players who are/want to sue the NHL. The NHL is basically giving them more examples of how they refuse to properly address the rampant whitewashing of dangerous head shots.

 

[dr robbie]

Man, I must be pretty pessimistic. I dont see him returning until some time next season. Crosby is definitely not one to rush himself back into the game. When he was out for almost the whole season because of concussion/neck stuff, we all thought his return was right around the corner, but it never was. He missed 6 games in the beginning of the season from a very minor one. The one yesterday wasn't a minor one IMO. And people think he'll be back after a week? It's not like your body where you can just fight through the pain, Crosby knows his quality of life is on the line if he rushes himself. I don't know, I just don't think we'll see him back this season. Hope I'm wrong though.

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

Leafs fan.

I'm rooting for you guys. I hope Sid's not out for long. Best player in the league.

****ing bodybag these ******* pieces of ****.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I never even played at a high level and I know that Niskanen had every intention of lighting Crosby up there with a fully-extended cross check. The more unaware, the better. ****... he watched him the whole way and even admitted he intended to X-check him. Just because he didn't mean to maybe catch him right in the earhole because Ovechkin got in on the thuggery on the way past doesn't make it any better.

The easiest way to catch a guy with his head down, is when you are on the far post and cutting in, with a guy cutting across the crease. You know his head will be focused on the cage...

Like I said earlier, I'm not doing the ******** PC game and pretending like he's a swell guy that would never do that and blah blah... please. He and Crosby were going at it the two games prior and he saw a big opportunity to lay a cheap hit. He knew what he was doing and I guarantee you he's a big hero in that locker room.

 

[Pancakes]

The easiest way to catch a guy with his head down, is when you are on the far post and cutting in, with a guy cutting across the crease. You know his head will be focused on the cage...

Like I said earlier, I'm not doing the ******** PC game and pretending like he's a swell guy that would never do that and blah blah... please. He and Crosby were going at it the two games prior and he saw a big opportunity to lay a cheap hit. He knew what he was doing and I guarantee you he's a big hero in that locker room.

In the end whether he did or didn't is irrelevant. The Pens need to stay focused on the task at end. They're still good enough to win without him. With luck he'll be back sooner than later.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Sid's injury and the total lack of supplemental discipline sapped my enthusiasm for the playoffs.

I'm still gonna watch and cheer, and I still think we can beat the Caps, but **** man, the DOPS is such a cluster **** and the Pens are such a shadow of what they should be with these injuries that I don't even really care. I think I'm gonna start devoting more time to other things. Probably a good idea regardless.