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**copyright1997** · 04-18-2012, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtkratzer

Shanahan is officially a turd. These suspensions, just like the regular season, are idiotic and completely inconsistent. There's no rhyme or reason to the criteria used to punish anyone. Backstrom with a cross check to the head gets him one game. Asham got 3. Neal is a repeat offender and got one game for two separate incidents. Nothing on Weber?

This really is absurd. This isn't about a single series, it's the entire season and the piss poor job the disciplinarian is doing.

While I'd say that he (Shanahan) has a difficult job and it is impossible to always "get it right", the whole thing seems to be spiraling out of control. The suspensions and fines given certainly haven't seemed to reduce the issue...just look at the playoffs so far.

I've come to the opinion (formed over time) that the fines and suspensions are way too short. If a team lost a player for 10 games it starts to have a significant impact, but 1 or 2 (or even 4) doesn't. Or maybe the teams bench should have to play short if someone is suspended...now THAT would have a real impact on perceptions of these on a team.

I hope I don't bring up yet another round of Matt Cooke bashing on this, but his 10 game suspension (including the playoffs) was enough to have an effect...and might have even cost Pittsburgh the series with Tampa. Cooke (this season) has been the model citizen.

**Homercidal** · 04-18-2012, 01:12 PM

Quote:

While I'd say that he (Shanahan) has a difficult job and it is impossible to always "get it right", the whole thing seems to be spiraling out of control. The suspensions and fines given certainly haven't seemed to reduce the issue...just look at the playoffs so far.

I've come to the opinion (formed over time) that the fines and suspensions are way too short. If a team lost a player for 10 games it starts to have a significant impact, but 1 or 2 (or even 4) doesn't. Or maybe the teams bench should have to play short if someone is suspended...now THAT would have a real impact on perceptions of these on a team.

I hope I don't bring up yet another round of Matt Cooke bashing on this, but his 10 game suspension (including the playoffs) was enough to have an effect...and might have even cost Pittsburgh the series with Tampa. Cooke (this season) has been the model citizen.

I agree. A couple of games are a slap on the wrist. The league has to balance the fans desire to see the players playing, and providing an effective deterrent.

I think Shanny has been doing pretty good considering, but there has been enough inconsistency to cause players to ignore the rules. IF the penalty was extreme enough, then maybe we could get back to some hard, legal hits, and of course fighting should be allowed. Just get rid of the dirty and cheap hits that could actually injure a player.

Barnzy02 · 04-18-2012, 01:20 PM

IMO, the problem comes from suspensions being based on outcome and not intent.

It's kind of ridiculous, I mean, if someone 'tries' to take someone's head off but misses ... ah, no big deal ... no one got hurt.

It's a dangerous line to be walking, they need to make a statement to the players that the borderline and dangerous hits are suspendable, no matter the outcome.

Until then, it's not going to change. Look at Matt Cooke, he hasn't taken a major penalty all year, no suspensions, fines and he was the worst in the league.

The league needs to make an example out of Torres and let the players know that these types of plays will not be tolerated. There needs to be some sort of respect amongst the players as well.

I don't want to see the physical aspect of the game diminished, and it's obviously ratcheted up even more in the playoffs, but at the same time the league can't keep losing star players for extended periods of times.

It's one thing to key on a guy and put clean, legal checks on a guy when he has the puck or when you're finishing a check. But hitting a guy who is away from the play and the puck when he isn't looking is just flat out dangerous and stupid.

**FreshZ** · 04-18-2012, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barnzy02

IMO, the problem comes from suspensions being based on outcome and not intent.

It's kind of ridiculous, I mean, if someone 'tries' to take someone's head off but misses ... ah, no big deal ... no one got hurt.

It's a dangerous line to be walking, they need to make a statement to the players that the borderline and dangerous hits are suspendable, no matter the outcome.

Until then, it's not going to change. Look at Matt Cooke, he hasn't taken a major penalty all year, no suspensions, fines and he was the worst in the league.

The league needs to make an example out of Torres and let the players know that these types of plays will not be tolerated. There needs to be some sort of respect amongst the players as well.

I don't want to see the physical aspect of the game diminished, and it's obviously ratcheted up even more in the playoffs, but at the same time the league can't keep losing star players for extended periods of times.

It's one thing to key on a guy and put clean, legal checks on a guy when he has the puck or when you're finishing a check. But hitting a guy who is away from the play and the puck when he isn't looking is just flat out dangerous and stupid.

I couldn't agree more about outcome vs. intent. But I think we are all prey to that. The torres hit was bad, but not vicious, not from behind, and not that late. If Hossa hadn't been stretchered off, it wouldn't have warranted conversation. Yes, he left his feet, but some of that is momentum. Yes it was also late, but only a second or 2 after he passed. Once again, if Hossa wasn't injured on the play, I think somebody on Chicago would have pounded Torres and that would have been that.

I'm not defending Torrres that much, but I think we're being hypocritical talking about how big the suspension should be while saying it should be intent and not results.

Barnzy02 · 04-18-2012, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreshZ

I couldn't agree more about outcome vs. intent. But I think we are all prey to that. The torres hit was bad, but not vicious, not from behind, and not that late. If Hossa hadn't been stretchered off, it wouldn't have warranted conversation. Yes, he left his feet, but some of that is momentum. Yes it was also late, but only a second or 2 after he passed. Once again, if Hossa wasn't injured on the play, I think somebody on Chicago would have pounded Torres and that would have been that.

I'm not defending Torrres that much, but I think we're being hypocritical talking about how big the suspension should be while saying it should be intent and not results.

To me the problem with Torres, is two fold.

1. He is a constant repeat offender

2. Hossa did not have the puck/near the puck, Torres left his feet, and i haven't seen it enough times to comment on how much/if there was head contact but:

As Shanahan explained in Alex Ovechkin's suspension for charging Zbynek Michalek:

"The moment Ovechkin launches himself into the air prior to the hit he becomes responsible for any contact to the head."

They really should throw the book at the guy, he's repeatedly made stupid plays that risk serious injury to the opposing player.

StittsvilleJames · 04-18-2012, 02:16 PM

Torres is the reason I hated Vancouver last year (Torres must really not like Chicago....)

Hope he gets the Matt Cooke treatment from the league and his own team. I really want Phoenix to do well, but if they condone sh!t like that, I can't root for them.

**jtkratzer** · 04-18-2012, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barnzy02

To me the problem with Torres, is two fold.

1. He is a constant repeat offender

2. Hossa did not have the puck/near the puck, Torres left his feet, and i haven't seen it enough times to comment on how much/if there was head contact but:

As Shanahan explained in Alex Ovechkin's suspension for charging Zbynek Michalek:

"The moment Ovechkin launches himself into the air prior to the hit he becomes responsible for any contact to the head."

They really should throw the book at the guy, he's repeatedly made stupid plays that risk serious injury to the opposing player.

So how does Shanny make a different argument and buy Neal's bullsh*t about bracing for contact when he launched at Cooter? That's my point about Shanny being a turd.

Similar hits, away from the play...we'll see what the punishment is for Torres.