Paul Stewart: Water, Water Everywhere

The next progression will be thats its not water in the bottle being sprayed

Stewie,
Is there any way to kick a player out of a game for unsportsmanlike conduct? If this happened in a high school football game I was reffing I would kick him out for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Could an unsportsmanlike penalty have been called for these two incidents? Should they have?

The rhyme of the ancient mariner

I like your quotes... And I hate the antics with waterbottles......give them ton of exposure and make them pay with loss of reputation.

You kind of expect more from someone making 7.000.000 $/year

Why is more attention being paid to someone squirting water in a players face than players trying to make other players sterile. IE crosby, getzlaf, lucic. That is garbage if you ask me and I would have been mad enough to squirt him in the face myself. i agree there are discipline and respect problems in the league., but take care of the more serious stuff first

Of all the things that need to be "cleaned up" in the game, I'm not sure this even makes the top 100.

Thornton has turned himself into an embarrassing sideshow this year.

Why is more attention being paid to someone squirting water in a players face than players trying to make other players sterile. IE crosby, getzlaf, lucic. That is garbage if you ask me and I would have been mad enough to squirt him in the face myself. i agree there are discipline and respect problems in the league., but take care of the more serious stuff first
- Fryman4

this.

although i wish thornton would have gotten a penalty for his since it was during play.

this.

although i wish thornton would have gotten a penalty for his since it was during play.
- Joel_Eh

Agreed. I feel like I've been noticing more and more activity like this. I feel as though they need to put their foot down somewhere and make an example of someone. What if either Crosby or Lundquist or both were suspended for their actions. I've gotta think if the league makes a star sit out in a game 7 of a playoff series and people will know that you are serious and maybe straighten up a bit.

But that's a scary road to go down as well. I don't have the answers, but something needs to be done

this.

although i wish thornton would have gotten a penalty for his since it was during play.
- Joel_Eh

a penalty would have meant nothing. the game was over by that point. which is precisely why he did it. he wouldn't have done it in a 2-2 game. there's not much you can do about stuff like this. can't suspend a guy for squirting water like that unless it's a repeat offence. just find it funny how this same guy was crying in the media after game 2 because Subban ducked his attempted hit.

Paul, Why did a player that performed this act during play get a lesser fine then a player that did it during a stoppage?

Could an unsportsmanlike penalty have been called for these two incidents? Should they have?
- FlyersSteve118

Yes to both.

Paul, Why did a player that performed this act during play get a lesser fine then a player that did it during a stoppage?
- jtb3rd

Based upon salaries of the two offending players.

Why is more attention being paid to someone squirting water in a players face than players trying to make other players sterile. IE crosby, getzlaf, lucic. That is garbage if you ask me and I would have been mad enough to squirt him in the face myself. i agree there are discipline and respect problems in the league., but take care of the more serious stuff first
- Fryman4

Commented on the spearing yesterday.

Of all the things that need to be "cleaned up" in the game, I'm not sure this even makes the top 100.
- buffalofan19

Agreed. But it is a bush league thing to do and reflects a lack of respect.

Disrespect for the game has gotten out of hand. Most of that I put on Bettman.

Disrespect for the game has gotten out of hand. Most of that I put on Bettman.
- powerenforcer

I agree that disrespect for the game had gotten out of hand but I disagree it's because of Bettman. Many non Pens fans on this site would have you believe Bettman is trying to give them as many Stanley Cups as he can. If that was the case why did Crosby in the two series in these playoffs only draw 2 penalties. He took a beating from Dubinsky that should have drawn multiple calls and took many shots to the head and neck by Staal which the league is trying to do away with and didn't draw any calls. I fully believe Bettman has very little to nothing to do with how the players act or outcomes in games. I place most if not all the blame on the refs who seem to call games how they want and not how they are told to call the games. Especially in the playoffs where they let everything go then tensions run high and things get out of hand. If they call the games down the stretch of the regular season and in the playoffs like they do most of the regular season minus some of the ticky tack calls they could keep control of the game and stars could be stars and goons would be making regular trips to the penalty box like they should be.

I know it seems like I'm a Crosby backer but truth of the matter I'm more of a Malkin fan but facts are facts star players not just Crosby get mugged game after game and when you look at any other pro league you never see their star players get manhandled like they do in the NHL.

I agree that disrespect for the game had gotten out of hand but I disagree it's because of Bettman. Many non Pens fans on this site would have you believe Bettman is trying to give them as many Stanley Cups as he can. If that was the case why did Crosby in the two series in these playoffs only draw 2 penalties. He took a beating from Dubinsky that should have drawn multiple calls and took many shots to the head and neck by Staal which the league is trying to do away with and didn't draw any calls. I fully believe Bettman has very little to nothing to do with how the players act or outcomes in games. I place most if not all the blame on the refs who seem to call games how they want and not how they are told to call the games. Especially in the playoffs where they let everything go then tensions run high and things get out of hand. If they call the games down the stretch of the regular season and in the playoffs like they do most of the regular season minus some of the ticky tack calls they could keep control of the game and stars could be stars and goons would be making regular trips to the penalty box like they should be.

I know it seems like I'm a Crosby backer but truth of the matter I'm more of a Malkin fan but facts are facts star players not just Crosby get mugged game after game and when you look at any other pro league you never see their star players get manhandled like they do in the NHL.
- Guins6687

The reason I say it is a Bettman thing is that (1) he came from the NBA which has always been a league that has been run by the players. (2) he is trying to grow the game in non-conventional markets, where fans may not understand the game. (3) Growing the game increases the number of players, and unlike pre-expansion years, players with less than elite talent are in the league.

I agree that disrespect for the game had gotten out of hand but I disagree it's because of Bettman. Many non Pens fans on this site would have you believe Bettman is trying to give them as many Stanley Cups as he can. If that was the case why did Crosby in the two series in these playoffs only draw 2 penalties. He took a beating from Dubinsky that should have drawn multiple calls and took many shots to the head and neck by Staal which the league is trying to do away with and didn't draw any calls. I fully believe Bettman has very little to nothing to do with how the players act or outcomes in games. I place most if not all the blame on the refs who seem to call games how they want and not how they are told to call the games. Especially in the playoffs where they let everything go then tensions run high and things get out of hand. If they call the games down the stretch of the regular season and in the playoffs like they do most of the regular season minus some of the ticky tack calls they could keep control of the game and stars could be stars and goons would be making regular trips to the penalty box like they should be.

I know it seems like I'm a Crosby backer but truth of the matter I'm more of a Malkin fan but facts are facts star players not just Crosby get mugged game after game and when you look at any other pro league you never see their star players get manhandled like they do in the NHL.
- Guins6687

I agree with alot of what you said. However, I disagree that stars should get calls. What I like about hockey is you need more than talent to win. That makes it compelling. That gives an 8 seed the chance to win. I love the skill of the game as well. You can have both and the great teams do.

I agree with alot of what you said. However, I disagree that stars should get calls. What I like about hockey is you need more than talent to win. That makes it compelling. That gives an 8 seed the chance to win. I love the skill of the game as well. You can have both and the great teams do.
- mickel25

I'm not saying star players should get all the calls even the phantom ones. But star players are usually that much better then other players it's just reasonable to believe they should be drawing more penalties. I'm not saying either that a 8 seed shouldn't have a chance to win but it's gotten to the point to where there are really no true upsets anymore. I'm just saying if the refs call the first few would be penalties to Dubinsky and Staal that should have been called you would be less likely to see the mugging and bush league stuff that the refs are letting go on to the star players. Because said players would know they can't do those hits or they will be hurting their team by continually taking penalties. I don't want to see a penalty filled game that's why I said don't call the ticky tack stuff but the shots to the head and neck like Dubinsky and Staal was doing to Crosby needs to be called. This is not just a Crosby thing but this goes for not allowing any star player being mugged.