2010-2011 NHL Season Thread

[Callisto]

2 Games.

That means he'll be back for the next Sabres game, which means Kaleta's probably going to try to do something stupid and take a run at him like he said he would in the media today, which means we may see Scott vs. Kaleta, which could be interesting.

[Sepukku]

Looked like a very clean hit to me, baffles me that he'd be suspended. Wasn't charging, didn't leave his feet, wasn't boarding, so what's the deal? Just because he was taken off on a stretcher?

No predatory blind side hits this year, its a new rule after the Richards/Booth and Cooke/Savard hits last year.

[Callisto]

Looked like a very clean hit to me, baffles me that he'd be suspended. Wasn't charging, didn't leave his feet, wasn't boarding, so what's the deal? Just because he was taken off on a stretcher?

Mostly because he got hurt, yes, but also because Hammer arrived just a tad before the puck did. I also disagreed with it being labeled 'boarding' since he didn't hit the boards at all. The NHL rulebook specifically states that game misconduct boarding/checking from behind is when the player being hit does not see the attacker coming and is unable to defend himself. The replay very clearly shows that Pominville looked over directly at Hjalmarsson, he knew he was coming, and chose to play the puck instead of defending himself. He wasn't facing the boards, and was hit in the shoulder, while Hjalmarsson's skates were in front of his skates, so it doesn't really qualify as a check from behind either. It technically wasn't charging, he didn't take a single stride after crossing the blue line.

Regardless of where he was hit from, his head was directly next to the glass, and a shoulder-to-shoulder impact would have sent his head into it the way it did, and that's what caused the injury. The only real description you could give it that is close to accurate is interference, but as far as I know there's no 5-minute major or misconduct for interference, which is probably why they called it 'boarding', if Pominville would have gotten up unscathed it'd be a 2-minute interference penalty.

No predatory blind side hits this year, its a new rule after the Richards/Booth and Cooke/Savard hits last year.

That rule specifically applies to blindside hits to the head. It very clearly wasn't to the head, and like I said the fact that Poms looked right at him made it not a 'blindside' hit, with the operative part being 'blind'. It doesn't apply to this hit at all, it would have been called as a blindside head-shot major if it was, which is it's own penalty that does not have a 2-minute minor variation.

I'm not necessarily arguing with the call or suspension, Hammer should have pulled up a bit so that it wasn't such a dangerous play, but the way it's been described(see also: homer-fuck Sabres color guy saying it looked like he also elbowed Poms in the head) is kind of retarded.

edit: watched it a few more times, I think his shoulder was far enough to across to call it a check from behind, that probably would have been the only accurate call to make that would have allowed for major+misconduct.

[Ishido]

Franzen strikes early, Wings up 1-0.

[Callisto]

Those Joe Louis boards are hilarious lol

[Callisto]

Which pbp guy is this on Vs.? I don't recognize the voice at all.

[Callisto]

shit, they just said Bill McCreary is retiring after this season, that kinda sucks as he's one of the few consistently good refs.

[Ishido]

AHL callups - fighting because Datsyuk is the only other guy who will

[Chips]

shit, they just said Bill McCreary is retiring after this season, that kinda sucks as he's one of the few consistently good refs.

lol, he was supposed to be retired THIS season. So much for that.

[Sepukku]

That rule specifically applies to blindside hits to the head. It very clearly wasn't to the head, and like I said the fact that Poms looked right at him made it not a 'blindside' hit, with the operative part being 'blind'. It doesn't apply to this hit at all, it would have been called as a blindside head-shot major if it was, which is it's own penalty that does not have a 2-minute minor variation.

I'm not necessarily arguing with the call or suspension, Hammer should have pulled up a bit so that it wasn't such a dangerous play, but the way it's been described(see also: homer-fuck Sabres color guy saying it looked like he also elbowed Poms in the head) is kind of retarded.

edit: watched it a few more times, I think his shoulder was far enough to across to call it a check from behind, that probably would have been the only accurate call to make that would have allowed for major+misconduct.

Pominville clearly did not realize he was coming. Looking at him 4 seconds ahead when the play is still on the corner and HJOKOGGOUIIHIIDIN is 12 feet away from him does not absolve the hit of its predatory nature. He clearly was not braced for an impact, light or hard, and hence why he ragdolled right into the boards. You should just take 5 minutes, go to the bathroom, change your tampon, reapply your make up, and take 3 deep big-girl breaths and come back to your computer. Your player broke the rules and he got punished for it. The NHL is pretty consistent with their discipline and they're not going to allow this to become the WWE.

[Deader2818]

"The NHL is pretty consistent with their discipline" is pretty funny to me

[Callisto]

Note the 'not arguing with the call or suspension' part, dingdong. I felt he should get the major/misconduct and felt he should get suspended(note earlier I even said 3 days). It was a dangerous hit on a vulnerable player and he should have pulled up, he deserves the time he got. I'm only pointing out 3 things:

1) The penalty was mislabeled. It was called a boarding, it was very clearly not a boarding. It would have been much more accurate to call it a check from behind, but it was a hard play to call so you can't fully blame the refs for just sticking whatever name on it would let them eject him the fastest.

2) The new rule for this year does not apply. It was not a hit to the head by any stretch of the imagination, and the language of the new rule very specifically says 'targeted hits to the head', it would have been called as such if that rule applied.

3) The internet and/or Ryan Miller are overreacting, crybaby fucks. He did not charge, he did not leave his feet, he did not target the head, he did not hit him into the boards, he did not get his elbow up, half his body was in front of the player rather than behind him, and if you watch closely his stick actually hits the puck right before he hits Pominville, as he was playing the puck. The only reason this is even a deal at all is because Poms got hurt, and regardless of what angle Hammer came in at other than if he came from 100% directly behind the head would have hit the glass like that. If Poms got up and shook it off with no real harm done, it would have been a 2 minute interference call and nobody would have mentioned it again. With all the shit of the play being 'disgusting' and 'having no place in hockey' from basement dwellers and Team USA goalies, you'd think he went and Bertuzzi'd somebody.

[Ishido]

Jesus christ Datsyuk is good at redirecting shot-passes.

[Callisto]

goal down, assist and fight to go

[Callisto]

close one there lol, that almost got tied back up in a hurry

[Sepukku]

"The NHL is pretty consistent with their discipline" is pretty funny to me

They're consistent in their "overlook Penguin offenses, overreact to Avery's offenses, punish everyone else normally" policy!

[Callisto]

Honestly I was amazed that Avery didn't get 2 games for Wiz's ghost job

[Callisto]

maybe Anderson should've gotten the start lol

[Callisto]

nice shot, let's see if they can get out of the period without letting an answer goal in

[Callisto]

lol @ Vs. intermission guy trying to plug the T.Ocho show with a straight face