True, but he was thinking it.
- Sell My Monkey

I did feel dirty about defending Edwards there

Makes sense now then.

I think more of an issue is that players in the league think this is acceptable behaviour, or it even crosses their mind. We hear a lot about culture but you would never see something like that in football, or rugby.

I agree that Shanahan needs to come down hard here, for more than say 15 games. Things are getting kind of bush league in the NHL.
- flyer_nutter

So how many games would you have given heartnell for puching nyquest 3 times in the head while he was down?

Hardly... There were plenty of rats and cheapshot artists in the league before then.

And if there wasn't an instigator wouldn't more guys do that crap that Thornton did tonight? With no additional penalty for starting to fight an unwilling player, more guys would be getting jumped.
- rival22

Yes, but the rats and cheapshot artists either had to answer for themselves or a teammate did...dirty guys like Linseman and Verbeek threw down quite often. Now a Marchand or Cooke will probably never have to.

And no, more guys wouldn't do what he did. No instigator, Thornton would put every one of his teammates in peril...what would prevent Engo from just bloodying Krejci in return?

Yes, but the rats and cheapshot artists either had to answer for themselves
- Pags

Two words: Claude Lemieux

AMAZING. . . . if Boston's announcers aren't bad enough, let's get Cherry's opinion on the matter. Maybe we could get Matt Damon or Ben Affleck's opinion. I don't think they can get any worse.

AMAZING. . . . if Boston's announcers aren't bad enough, let's get Cherry's opinion on the matter. Maybe we could get Matt Damon or Ben Affleck's opinion. I don't think they can get any worse.
- mw630

Actually thankful the game isnt on NBCSN so we don't have to listen to Roenick or Milbury chime in

Two words: Claude Lemieux
- hardnosed

You left off the "or a teammate did" part. For Lemieux prior to '92 see Chris Nilan, John Kordic and Ken Daneyko.

OMG how the hell do you miss that lol

nhl.com reporting orpik at mass gen and alert and awake.

nhl.com reporting orpik at mass gen and alert and awake.
- ChrisMS

Thank God. Boston can KMA.

Actually thankful the game isnt on NBCSN so we don't have to listen to Roenick or Milbury chime in
- kfinl170

Milbury has actually come a long way on this in the past few seasons... I could see him being very harsh on Thornton.

Been really impressed with Vitale and Maatta this game.

Milbury has actually come a long way on this in the past few seasons... I could see him being very harsh on Thornton.
- rival22

Yeah... he might have hit thornton with his own shoe!

Been really impressed with Vitale and Maatta this game.
- Genev21

Niskanen has been great too

I had a game to coach, came back to quite a newsworthy game.

James Neal deserves a double digit games suspension and Thornton should be suspended indefinitely.

Neither action has a place in the sport.

I know I'm going to get bashed, but the Thorton responds was not just because of the knee to Marchand's head. It was due to the orpik hit to Lou erickson that likely gave him his second concussion of the year in the first minutes of the game. The bruins thought it deserves at least and interference penalty and nothing came of it. Thorton tried to go with orpik and he refused and Thorton got a roughing penalty, should have been an instigator penalty. After all of that Thorton took it upon himself to institute frontier justice.
Thorton will get suspended and I agree he should, but it's going to be 10 games max and think that's fair.
This is why refs need to make calls or poope gets put of hand and players try to defend themselves and there teammates.
AGAIN I think thorton should be suspended and I think 10 games is about right, but IVE SEEN FAR FAR WORSE in the 25 years I've watched hockey.
And please do not make hockey into figure skating/soccer/basketball.

I know I'm going to get bashed, but the Thorton responds was not just because of the knee to Marchand's head. It was due to the orpik hit to Lou erickson that likely gave him his second concussion of the year in the first minutes of the game. The bruins thought it deserves at least and interference penalty and nothing came of it. Thorton tried to go with orpik and he refused and Thorton got a roughing penalty, should have been an instigator penalty. After all of that Thorton took it upon himself to institute frontier justice.
Thorton will get suspended and I agree he should, but it's going to be 10 games max and think that's fair.
This is why refs need to make calls or poope gets put of hand and players try to defend themselves and there teammates.
AGAIN I think thirty should be suspended and I think 10 games is about right, but IVE SEEN FAR FAR WORSE in the 25 years I've watched hockey.
And please do not make hockey into figure skating/soccer/basketball.
- JIwasinskiJr

But that isnt how you respond. I think that anytime a player is on the ice another player has no business punching them in the face head back of the head.

I had a game to coach, came back to quite a newsworthy game.

James Neal deserves a double digit games suspension and Thornton should be suspended indefinitely.

Neither action has a place in the sport.
- Ryan_Wilson

I agree it was dirty, but double digit is excessive. It was more of a glancing blow that was made to look worse by a known embellisher. Still no place for it, but no more than 3-5 games. Thornton deserves 15-20. Will probably get 7 and Julien will cry about how it was all Orpik's fault.

I agree it was dirty, but double digit is excessive. It was more of a glancing blow that was made to look worse by a known embellisher. Still no place for it, but no more than 3-5 games. Thornton deserves 15-20. Will probably get 7 and Julien will cry about how it was all Orpik's fault.
- mw630

There is nothing glancing or accidental about what Neal did.

Punish the act, not the result.

But that isnt how you respond. I think that anytime a player is on the ice another player has no business punching them in the face head back of the head.
- poisondhearts37

I agree and if he had to do it again I bet he wouldn't. No one feels worse then he dose right now, after watching him play for so long. But I've seen a lot of guys get punched in the face when they are on the ice like that over the years. I'm not defending it, but I just think a lot of people are over reacting just a bit.
It was horrible but not the out come thorty wanted, I'm pretty sure.

I know I'm going to get bashed, but the Thorton responds was not just because of the knee to Marchand's head. It was due to the orpik hit to Lou erickson that likely gave him his second concussion of the year in the first minutes of the game. The bruins thought it deserves at least and interference penalty and nothing came of it. Thorton tried to go with orpik and he refused and Thorton got a roughing penalty, should have been an instigator penalty. After all of that Thorton took it upon himself to institute frontier justice.
Thorton will get suspended and I agree he should, but it's going to be 10 games max and think that's fair.
This is why refs need to make calls or poope gets put of hand and players try to defend themselves and there teammates.
AGAIN I think thorton should be suspended and I think 10 games is about right, but IVE SEEN FAR FAR WORSE in the 25 years I've watched hockey.
And please do not make hockey into figure skating/soccer/basketball.
- JIwasinskiJr

You may have seen worse in the last 25 years, but at no time in the NHL history has it been accepted to mug a guy from behind and then punch him in the head while he is down. The last time we saw it, Bortuzzi was suspended for quite a long time. You can't say it isn't as bad as Bortuzzi's yet, because you don't know the extent of Orpik's injury. I don't want fighting to be taken out of hockey, but that wasn't a fight. It was a play of a coward that was upset about a clean hit earlier in the game. Ericsson needs to learn to keep his head up if he wants to avoid concussions. You wouldn't be feeling bad for Crosby if Chara put the same hit on him.

Amazing. We just gave the game away.

absolutely unbelievable.

we aren't just going to give them an underserved point, we are going to give them 2 and us none.

this team's gotta perform and execute better in the 3rd period in these kinds of games.

That's a tough pill to swallow

hope i dont get poop on but here goes

what thornton did was completely (frank)ing classless and he should get 15 games for that poop. Thats sick what he did. You dont do that in hockey

HOWEVER James Neal is just as big of a piece of poop for what he did. That was nearly as disgusting as what Thornton did. 1000% intent, he could've EASILY had avoided that play, and he CLEARLY stuck out his knee to Marchands head. Both plays make me wanna puke

As Dustin Leed said, James Neal is a cheap, dirtbag hockey player as far as I'm concerned. and i 100% agree. Talented for sure, great player, sure, but he's a dirtbag of a hockey player, and i hope he gets hit hard for the BS he pulled tonight.

Im gonna call it right here right now. 2 games for Neal and 5-7 for Thornton. Both should get Double digits but Shanny doesnt have the balls to make a big play