Official NHL Thread: 2011-2012 Season

[montrealer]

Panthers with a push back ...........

[montrealer]

The Ping Pong series on CBC..........

[BroadwayBomber55]

Chicago Blackhawk F Marian Hossa left Game 3 on a stretcher after Phoenix Coyote F Raffi Torres delivered a shoulder to the jaw way after Hossa passed the puck and left his feet.
http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2...-on-stretcher/

Memo to Brendan Shanahan: if this is not warranted a 3-game suspension, then your decisions are for the birds.

[CanoForPresident]

Chicago Blackhawk F Marian Hossa left Game 3 on a stretcher after Phoenix Coyote F Raffi Torres delivered a shoulder to the jaw way after Hossa passed the puck and left his feet.
http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2...-on-stretcher/

Memo to Brendan Shanahan: if this is not warranted a 3-game suspension, then your decisions are for the birds.

Three?

He should be tossed for the playoffs.

The Penguin suspensions were a ................ing joke as well. I loved Shanny as a player and liked what he did earlier in the season, but its becoming pretty obvious that Bettman is pulling the strings.

[dabomb2045]

Torres should def be done for the playoffs...he'll probably get a game lol. Neal and Asham should have been suspended for 5-10 games. Neal clearly left his feet, had Couturier lined up and was trying to lay him out with an elbow AND did the same thing to Giroux minutes later. No room in the game for that....definetly no room for Asham's antics which were borderline criminal.

The league has lost total control of its players, and because they dont lay down the law when necessary...these players think they can do whatever they want. Yet they give Hagelin 3 games for a hit that wasnt intentional, wasnt pre-meditated and for a player that has no history of doing acts like that.

[Col. Jacob Ruppert]

The problem is clear. For some strange reason the deciding factor in these suspensions is if the player is hurt. I don't understand it. Yes, it should be some what of a factor but not the whole thing. Neal was clearly looking to hurt someone. The game was over he was looking to send a message and he has a history with being fined and suspended. But because Giroux and Couturier weren't hurt his suspension wasn't as bad. IMO thats absurd, thats not how you stop these hits from happening.

I'm a Ranger fan and I thought Hagelin should have gotten a game because he was way to reckless in finishing his check but to giving him 3 games and Neal 1 is absurd and I don't even need to touch on Weber.

Truthfully the worst thing they could have done to Neal was not to give him a game because the Flyers when they get a chance will come after him and he will answer for those hits eventually.

[BroadwayBomber55]

Mikkel Boedker struck at 13:15 in OT to give the Phoenix Coyotes a 3-2 win in Game 3 over the Chicago Blackhawks.

[montrealer]

Don Cherry said it best............it's a hockey game..........not a tennis match.....

[montrealer]

NHL = Epic fail................got to take care of your own.....

[MTYankee23]

Three?

He should be tossed for the playoffs.

The Penguin suspensions were a ................ing joke as well. I loved Shanny as a player and liked what he did earlier in the season, but its becoming pretty obvious that Bettman is pulling the strings.

I'll take it a step further. Torres should be done. Period. Once you start taking that step, this "I was just trying to finish my check" nonsense will end. He's obviously not showing any inclination to change his game, so the next career that should be altered by his play should be his own.

There's a massive difference between trying to play good physical hockey (i.e. trying to remove the puck from the player who possesses it) and predatory b.s. like we saw on this play. That wasn't a hockey play at all and the fact that he thought it was shows he'll do it again.

[dabomb2045]

I'll take it a step further. Torres should be done. Period. Once you start taking that step, this "I was just trying to finish my check" nonsense will end. He's obviously not showing any inclination to change his game, so the next career that should be altered by his play should be his own.

There's a massive difference between trying to play good physical hockey (i.e. trying to remove the puck from the player who possesses it) and predatory b.s. like we saw on this play. That wasn't a hockey play at all and the fact that he thought it was shows he'll do it again.

The only way these hits stop happening are if the league cracks down on them. Send a message and suspend guys for 5, 10 or even more games. Tell them they are sitting for the playoffs. Enough is enough.

I love good physical hockey as much as anyone, but what I'm seeing in these playoffs is out of control. I see players out there legimately attempting to hurt other players, not just delivering hits within the context of the game and trying to play physical. It's crossed the line. These players know they can get away with it too, and they will keep doing it unless they are told it will cost them.

[Tyler Durden]

Don Cherry said it best............it's a hockey game..........not a tennis match.....

It's not good for the sport when the sideshow moments overshadow the good on-ice play. It's been happening for a while now, yet too many people with influence on the game seem content with shrugging their shoulders and saying, "Oh, well..." and letting players off the hook when they decide to be d-bags.

The league has lost total control of its players, and because they dont lay down the law when necessary...these players think they can do whatever they want. Yet they give Hagelin 3 games for a hit that wasnt intentional, wasnt pre-meditated and for a player that has no history of doing acts like that.

Shanahan had a real opportunity to send the right message and has (in my eyes) failed across the board: Carkner, Asham, Weber, Neal & Torres should all be gone for the remainder of the playoffs based on the intent of their actions alone.

Shanahan does that and I guarantee this garbage we've seen goes away immediately. Whether or not Shanny is getting his marching orders from Bettman remains to be seen, but I do find Bettman's silence during all of this pretty telling. He doesn't care if the league comes across as a sleazy joke as long as the ratings are up.

[dabomb2045]

It's not good for the sport when the sideshow moments overshadow the good on-ice play. It's been happening for a while now, yet too many people with influence on the game seem content with shrugging their shoulders and saying, "Oh, well..." and letting players off the hook when they decide to be d-bags.



Shanahan had a real opportunity to send the right message and has (in my eyes) failed across the board: Carkner, Asham, Weber, Neal & Torres should all be gone for the remainder of the playoffs based on the intent of their actions alone.

Shanahan does that and I guarantee this garbage we've seen goes away immediately.>>

Whether or not Shanny is getting his marching orders from Bettman remains to be seen, but I do find Bettman's silence during all of this pretty telling. He doesn't care if the league comes across as a sleazy joke as long as the ratings are up.

Agreed. The players you just mentioned....the acts they committed had nothing to do with playing physical hockey. They were assaults and they pretty much were attempting to injure other players...none of that belongs in the game.

If you allow it to continue, then the game turns into a WWE style joke where you have guys forgetting about the game, and just trying to out thug each other like they are two rival gangs. Its ridiculous.

[MTYankee23]

The only way these hits stop happening are if the league cracks down on them. Send a message and suspend guys for 5, 10 or even more games. Tell them they are sitting for the playoffs. Enough is enough.

I love good physical hockey as much as anyone, but what I'm seeing in these playoffs is out of control. I see players out there legimately attempting to hurt other players, not just delivering hits within the context of the game and trying to play physical. It's crossed the line. These players know they can get away with it too, and they will keep doing it unless they are told it will cost them.

Totally agree (of course I say this as Lucic spends the last two days drawing bulleyes on pictures of Karl Alzner).

Guys like Iginla and Backes can play physically without multiple suspensions, so I don't want to hear it isn't possible or that too many players will alter their games. It's pretty simple, hit laterally and only initiate when the other guy still has the puck.

Torres should be gone because he's an excessive repeat offender. Multiple Suspensions, Fines, and close calls that could have gone either way (Seabrook last year, 2 in a 3 game span this year). Why are we protecting the careers of the predators.

[Tyler Durden]

I'll take it a step further. Torres should be done. Period. Once you start taking that step, this "I was just trying to finish my check" nonsense will end. He's obviously not showing any inclination to change his game, so the next career that should be altered by his play should be his own.

There's a massive difference between trying to play good physical hockey (i.e. trying to remove the puck from the player who possesses it) and predatory b.s. like we saw on this play. That wasn't a hockey play at all and the fact that he thought it was shows he'll do it again.

The only way these hits stop happening are if the league cracks down on them. Send a message and suspend guys for 5, 10 or even more games. Tell them they are sitting for the playoffs. Enough is enough.

I love good physical hockey as much as anyone, but what I'm seeing in these playoffs is out of control. I see players out there legimately attempting to hurt other players, not just delivering hits within the context of the game and trying to play physical. It's crossed the line. These players know they can get away with it too, and they will keep doing it unless they are told it will cost them.

These are both excellent posts that I agree with 100%... And on that note, you KNOW the league is in a bad place when a Flyers fan, Rangers fan and Bruins fan spend more time on the internet agreeing with each other than trash-talking.

[montrealer]

The Day Shanny kissed Webber's arse was the day it got out of control. Also the player association does nothing to help their own. If the players don't respect each other then why should the league.....I lost all hope as long as Bettman and Campbell are around........

[YankeeGalSC]

http://phillydailynews.newspaperdire...er/viewer.aspx

[Mr Coffee]

Good article about all this here: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sport...06/singlepage/

[pleasepassthesoup]

The Devils need to figure out their penalty kill quickly or else they're going to be at home very soon. Aside from the good ol' shootout, the dominant penalty kill was the biggest reason why New Jersey was successful in the regular season and it's been godawful in this series.

[GordonGecko]

Top 10 (subjective) Saves of 2011-12:

[montrealer]

Fleury can't stop a beach ball ..........lol

[montrealer]

Flyers can't stop a beach ball......

[montrealer]

Sens being pesky.........

[montrealer]

That's Mr.Anderson.........

[montrealer]

Pens/Flyers series is a enigma.........