Cheap Shots?

7 thoughts on “Cheap Shots?”

1. Good Morning from Omaha,

   Hockey is a good sport when , like football, when played at the highest levels. A lot of the games in the NHL playoffs features true hockey.

   Its the bully’s and bashers that get the headlines and that is what it is. Maybe the media could focus on the true playing of hockey but as in football, the cheap shots, the outrageous statements, heck even the praying quarter back get the headlines and not the guys who go out play after play and do there job. That is not just the lineman but corners and safeties the tight ends and even the holders.

   Lets see if we can focus on the skill it takes to play any sport at its highest level and the beauty of a great save or a clean check and banish the brutality from the high light shows. will it happen- not a chance- the public being what it is- but we can always hope that good will win out ! I’ll put down the rose colored glasses now and ask everyone to Strive for excellence, nothing but your best.

   Gene

2. This years games have actually have me turned off a bit on them, and thats saying something since I work in Junior A Hockey. I think the NHL needs to get a little tougher on the suspensions, right now its not sending a clear message on it. Let me hit you with a cheap shot and sit 1-3 games. Lets look at 5-7 games and see what happens.

   It is going to be an interesting off-season this year as USA hockey is going to be looking at the fighting in the youth leagues, including Juniors. The New York Times wrote an article on it a few weeks ago – should be a must read.

   http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/28/sports/hockey/fighting-in-amateur-hockey-leagues-may-be-on-way-out.html?pagewanted=all

3. Howard:

   Interesting note on the length of suspensions – the league has so far tied the likely length of injuries to the suspensions, which is a bit Old Testament but wise.

   Look at it this way – if your goon lays a head hit on my sniper, and your guy gets a five-game suspension while my sniper is back in a game, many players will seek to lay out the sniper to “make up the games” lost by the suspension.

   Or you could also look at Thrusday’s action: Four games, Three decided by a single goal, one in overtime, and only two fights – one punished with a game misconduct for the instigator.

   Will the critics give credit if that trend continues?

4. Breaking News: Raffi Torres gets a 25-game suspension – four games longer than Hunter’s hit in 1993, and five longer than Bertuzzi’s assault.

   Here’s Shanny explaining the decision:

   http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=629019

5. Questions I’ve been asking myself today: Is 25 games long enough? Torres is a repeat offender, who hasn’t learned his lesson. Hossa is still hasn’t made his way back to the ice. If Hossa is unable to return to the ice, would Shanahan and Bettman revisit the suspension handed down to Torres?

   Bertuzzi ended a man’s career and should have received a lifetime ban from the game. Just typing his name makes me sick to my stomach.

6. 25 games is a full third of the regular season – and judging by tonight’s Chicago-Phoenix game (six penalties in an overtime game), the rough stuff has mostly ceased. And if you were to punish athletes by injuries inflicted, then you would have ended Lawrence Taylor’s career because of Theismann’s leg.

   As has the rough stuff from the Flyers-Pens series, based on last night’s action.

   The league has meted out ten suspensions in the first round alone, and now the Torres pop. Cheap shots may have been happening at the start of the playoffs, but the league isn’t by any definition of the term “Doing Nothing”.

7. Badger,

   Thanks for your insight and perspective. I appreciate it.