Tim Panaccio: That Was Thuggery And It Was Pittsburgh Driven

Guaranteed Asham gets suspended, Neal might be fined but not suspended. Shanny made clear the other day when he fined Weber for his George the Animal Steel turnbuckle antics as opposed to suspending him. Seems as though tough guys will get suspended but not star players...pretty simple reasoning for this too. Shanny is employed by the League (the owners). When you suspend star players in the playoffs it hurts the owner's pockets, which they don't like one bit. Suspending role players doesn't hurt the owner's wallets, hence the reason Shanny has no issue making them sit. Unfortunately it's not about player safety and that is simply an egregious offense to the game!

Neal actually has 2 separate hearings with Shanny tomorrow morning, as per Kypreos. Looks like he will get some sort of suspension, a game or 2. Asham is done for the series, hopefully Adams has his auto 1-gamer held up too.

Tim
I agree...and it pains me, that this is actually how much of the league has seen the Flyers for years...even when they did nothing to deserve it.

In all honesty, if Crosby isn't going to get a penalty for knocking away Voracek's glove (which I think Hartnell got in a similar situation either earlier this year or last year) then there needs to be a very long and clearly illustrated explanation for why. That action alone was and is the definition of Unsportsmanlike Conduct. The arrogant way he sneered his answeres aftere the game, I don't know what has come over him, and the Penguins, but it really is just bad.

Asham should be done for the series and possible a couple games to start the season. Adams at least one game. Neal with his history could get something too.

Surprise, the penguins are a dirty team. Yet somehow it was all the isles fault last year, right Mario? If the shoe fits...

Maybe he'll threaten to leave and take his ball with him again. Go flyers!

In the Crosby interviews after the game, one of the reports should have asked Crosby if his actions during game 3 was a good example for the kids that idolize him and him being the face of the NHL.

No doubt Weber should have gotten a game. You just can't do what he did.

As with most things, you set the example early so people know what to expect...Shanahan and the NHL failed to do this.

One of the things about yesterday's game I don't understand and I haven't seen anybody mention is why Neal wasn't penalized for running and jumping into Couturier? I mean, they gave Schenn a penalty for 'charging' in Martin. Further, if Neal is penalized, he doesn't get to take a run at Giroux a minute later.

Something is effed there.

Neal actually has 2 separate hearings with Shanny tomorrow morning, as per Kypreos. Looks like he will get some sort of suspension, a game or 2. Asham is done for the series, hopefully Adams has his auto 1-gamer held up too.
- Rocktane

What did Adams do? Was it just pulling Hartnell's hair?

What did Adams do? Was it just pulling Hartnell's hair?
- leon neon

no, it was a lot more. initially hartnell was in a shoving/grabbing match with crybaby. adams came directly to hartsy's back and began punching the back of his head, then goaded hartnell into a fight, which was i'd say a tie

What did Adams do? Was it just pulling Hartnell's hair?
- leon neon

No. He got an instigator penalty in the last 5 minutes of the game. There's a rule in the rulebook that if you do that, it's an automatic 1 game suspension and your coach gets fined 10k. It was put in place in order to stop teams from "sending a message" at the end of a game.

The league does have the right to overturn the suspension if they feel that the fight was not meant to send a message.

No. He got an instigator penalty in the last 5 minutes of the game. There's a rule in the rulebook that if you do that, it's an automatic 1 game suspension and your coach gets fined 10k. It was put in place in order to stop teams from "sending a message" at the end of a game.

The league does have the right to overturn the suspension if they feel that the fight was not meant to send a message.
- lifexkills

Which I would bet they do.

He jumped a player from behind, threw punches to the back of the players head, then when Hartnell got away and they squared off he reverted to pulling his hair.
Cheap, cheap, cheap.

http://espn.go.com/blog/n...-adams-suspended-one-game

Adams instigator was not rescinded. He was suspended for game 4.

In the Crosby interviews after the game, one of the reports should have asked Crosby if his actions during game 3 was a good example for the kids that idolize him and him being the face of the NHL.
- riceroni

Thank you!!! Lost all respect for the supposed "face of the NHL". His assclown antics throughout the whole game should be dealt with!!

Agree Shannie should have given Webs a game for that crap on Friday and he dropped the ball on that...shame because now the playoffs are turning into a free-for-all!!

Haha, I love listening to people say they "lost respect" for Crosby. Come, you circle jerkers have never had any... give me a break.

Haha, I love listening to people say they "lost respect" for Crosby. Come, you circle jerkers have never had any... give me a break.
- Ravidel11

There was some respect for his talent, but not for his divey whiney act. Now even people who've been servicing him for 7 years realize that's who he is.

There was some respect for his talent, but not for his divey whiney act. Now even people who've been servicing him for 7 years realize that's who he is.
- bodiva88

So, because he's the best talent of the NHL he has to be perfect in every way? Emotions get the best of everybody once in a while and when you're the guy that's targeted every night by opposing teams, you might lose your mind sometimes.

sure he pushed Voracek's glove a little farther with his stick, sure that unsportsman like, but the act in itself is laughable at best. Nothing to whine about that's for sure

There was some respect for his talent, but not for his divey whiney act. Now even people who've been servicing him for 7 years realize that's who he is.
- bodiva88

But there's respect for a guy like Brad Marchand who just took 2 huge dives in the span of 35 seconds? You see divey where you want to see divey -- everyone else just gets a pass. Just like you see dirty where you want to see dirty -- where's your comment about Franzen spearing a Pred on the bench?

So, because he's the best talent of the NHL he has to be perfect in every way? Emotions get the best of everybody once in a while and when you're the guy that's targeted every night by opposing teams, you might lose your mind sometimes.

sure he pushed Voracek's glove a little farther with his stick, sure that unsportsman like, but the act in itself is laughable at best. Nothing to whine about that's for sure
- Traceur

He started every scrum, and left his teammates to finish up each one. He sounded like a petulant 7th grader in the post game. And not he, nor any of the people he supposedly is leading has said word one about having to be better, be more disciplined, play better.

And he's been sold to us all as mr. perfect for 7 years, when he never has been and finally the act is showing cracks.

But there's respect for a guy like Brad Marchand who just took 2 huge dives in the span of 35 seconds? You see divey where you want to see divey -- everyone else just gets a pass. Just like you see dirty where you want to see dirty -- where's your comment about Franzen spearing a Pred on the bench?
- Ravidel11

When have you ever seen me defend Brad Marchand? Never. Hate him.

And hated Mark Recchi when he was a Flyer and forever after because he was a cheap dive artist.

And much as I love Danny B, I hate the embellishment. Even if he weren't so bad at it that it never gains him anything, I still hate it.

He started every scrum, and left his teammates to finish up each one. He sounded like a petulant 7th grader in the post game. And not he, nor any of the people he supposedly is leading has said word one about having to be better, be more disciplined, play better.

And he's been sold to us all as mr. perfect for 7 years, when he never has been and finally the act is showing cracks.
- bodiva88

See, that's what I don't get. What do you mean he left his teammates to finish up every scrum? What the heck was that stuff with Giroux then? The funny part, there's another contingent of people ripping Crosby for getting into the scrums after he said he wasn't going to do that any more. So he starts scrums and then leaves them for his teammates... at the same time as he's jumping into the middle of scrums after saying he was going to stop.

I'm not saying your personal dislike for Crosby isn't justified. But come on, you have to recognize that there's a massive mob of morons frothing at the mouth to criticize Crosby for literally anything he does.

And Crosby was sold by who? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Crosby has never said he's Mr. perfect. It's the same idiocy as people who harp on Dion Phaneuf for being a terrible captain after being lauded as the next coming of Messier. Well that sure as poop ain't Phaneuf's fault -- he never said anything about being an amazing captain. So why are we faulting the players for the idiocy the media (or, in the case of Toronto, the management) creates?

I even remember Crosby getting ripped when he first came into the league for being too bland with the media. Now he's petulant. He doesn't have enough passion. He can't control his passion. And on, and on, and on..

See, that's what I don't get. What do you mean he left his teammates to finish up every scrum? What the heck was that stuff with Giroux then? The funny part, there's another contingent of people ripping Crosby for getting into the scrums after he said he wasn't going to do that any more. So he starts scrums and then leaves them for his teammates... at the same time as he's jumping into the middle of scrums after saying he was going to stop.

I'm not saying your personal dislike for Crosby isn't justified. But come on, you have to recognize that there's a massive mob of morons frothing at the mouth to criticize Crosby for literally anything he does.

And Crosby was sold by who? Correct me if I'm wrong, but Crosby has never said he's Mr. perfect. It's the same idiocy as people who harp on Dion Phaneuf for being a terrible captain after being lauded as the next coming of Messier. Well that sure as poop ain't Phaneuf's fault -- he never said anything about being an amazing captain. So why are we faulting the players for the idiocy the media (or, in the case of Toronto, the management) creates?

I even remember Crosby getting ripped when he first came into the league for being too bland with the media. Now he's petulant. He doesn't have enough passion. He can't control his passion. And on, and on, and on..
- Ravidel11

Whether he is responsible for the leagues shoving him down our throats or not, he has certainly benefitted dramatically from it financially so he can live with the fallout when people are sick to death of him. I never saw him as lacking passion. He was clearly a very driven player. But I'm not required to like him no matter how skilled he is. And I am certainly free to dislike him heartily, which I do.

Whether he is responsible for the leagues shoving him down our throats or not, he has certainly benefitted dramatically from it financially so he can live with the fallout when people are sick to death of him. I never saw him as lacking passion. He was clearly a very driven player. But I'm not required to like him no matter how skilled he is. And I am certainly free to dislike him heartily, which I do.
- bodiva88

You're as bad as people that portray him as Mr Perfect if you portray him as a cheap shot artist, diver and scrum starter. He probably gives as much cheap shots as he receives, we just notice his more because all the cameras are on him, he doesn't dive nearly as much as at least 1 player on each team. As for starting scrums, maybe he does it but insn't that how hockey teams are built nowadays? you have players who start them and players who finish them.

You have very valid reasons to hate him, the flyers share a state with the penguins and you play that guy 6 times a year, he beat your team en route to a stanley cup
and he's the best player in the league. But all the crap he pulled in the previous game would have gone unnoticed had his name been anything but Crosby, the biggest proof, everybody should be talking about Neal today and nobody about crosby

He started every scrum, and left his teammates to finish up each one. He sounded like a petulant 7th grader in the post game. And not he, nor any of the people he supposedly is leading has said word one about having to be better, be more disciplined, play better.
And he's been sold to us all as mr. perfect for 7 years, when he never has been and finally the act is showing cracks.
- bodiva88

That is true, Pens have an obvious superiority complex and Crosby is probably deserving a big part of the blame as the captain. It just shows that he is not perfect and even if it may be the intention of the league to paint him as flawless, most people are not stupid enough to believe that. He's human like all of us

You're as bad as people that portray him as Mr Perfect if you portray him as a cheap shot artist, diver and scrum starter. He probably gives as much cheap shots as he receives, we just notice his more because all the cameras are on him, he doesn't dive nearly as much as at least 1 player on each team. As for starting scrums, maybe he does it but insn't that how hockey teams are built nowadays? you have players who start them and players who finish them.

You have very valid reasons to hate him, the flyers share a state with the penguins and you play that guy 6 times a year, he beat your team en route to a stanley cup
and he's the best player in the league. But all the crap he pulled in the previous game would have gone unnoticed had his name been anything but Crosby, the biggest proof, everybody should be talking about Neal today and nobody about crosby
- Traceur

You notice I haven't said anything about you. Because I'm here to talk about hockey, not to attack other posters. You might take that tack yourself in future.

You notice I haven't said anything about you. Because I'm here to talk about hockey, not to attack other posters. You might take that tack yourself in future.
- bodiva88

it was not directed towards you... it should be read "one is as bad as... "