But it can't be. So you're saying a tap to the shin pads and a 2-hander to the back of the knee both get the same result? A guy bumping a guy off the puck from the side is the same as what Doan did to Letang?

If so, I really do hope you never end up on a jury.
- jmatchett383

No that's why there are rules & sanctions. You bump a guy legally & he ends up in the boards you get suspended because had ended up in the boards. You slash the back of the knee you get suspended, you 'hit' the shin pads you don't - why are you hitting shin pads??

It's all based around video review & everyone gets their chance to defend any charge - if you get guys milking you obviously don't suspend the incident but in turn you warn then fine then suspend guys that continually milk the penalties. It won't take long to sort it out once players get suspended for poop they don't have to do in a game.

Oh poop, he turtled a time or two. What a coward!!!

You act like the dude's Claude Lemieux.
- jmatchett383

What? I'm saying Sid dropped them with Dubi last season after getting fed up with abuse and there's been others.

Yeah yeah, Crosby's a crybaby and the worst face of the league the NHL has ever had and Ryan Wilson loved Tanner Glass until he walked from the Pens...

Anyways...

Glad we're doing preseason the right way. This is exactly the time to play guys like Sheary with guys like Malkin. A lot of us, myself included, considered Sheary the front runner to take the vacant 4RW spot. Now that player looks to be unquestionably Sundqvist. I wouldn't mind seeing Sheary with Malkin or Crosby one more time to see if last night was just a bad game, but looks like he's just another career AHLer. Shame. I really like him and Dea, but they'll never make it.

D might have been atrocious but I won't flip the panic switch until we see the entire NHL unit together. Letang and Maatta looked really really good and I think they'll be able to absolutely eat time. Like between 25 and 30 minutes. If they eat time like that and Ian Cole can pick it up in a lesser, mid pairing role, we'll be fine. I think the third pairing is gonna be bad any way we slice this thing, but if we can lean on Letang, Maatta, and Cole, the forwards and Fleury should be able to pick up the slack.

In a weird turn of events I think Scuderi is actually giving management no choice but NOT to play him. Guy didn't even play with Anderson last night! I know we shouldn't read into this but at what point do we realize that Scuderi is being played with ECHLers and isn't playin well. If your in Scuderi's situation and management tried to trade you and is actively looking at younger options then wouldn't you think you'd play your ass off to earn a roster spot? Instead he's acting entitled (DK's article) and not giving a rats ass on the ice (last night). Isn't he supposed to be a character guy?

Calling Ryan Wilson a hypocrite or an "untalented hack" for giving his opinion on tanner glass is out of bounds .... I often gives opinions that are left and/or right of center.... Disagree with me, call me wrong, argue... cool.... But name calling is just unintelligent babble.... That applies to pens, rags or whatever team you root for...
(Sorry quote not working)

No that's why there are rules & sanctions. You bump a guy legally & he ends up in the boards you get suspended because had ended up in the boards. You slash the back of the knee you get suspended, you 'hit' the shin pads you don't - why are you hitting shin pads??

It's all based around video review & everyone gets their chance to defend any charge - if you get guys milking you obviously don't suspend the incident but in turn you warn then fine then suspend guys that continually milk the penalties. It won't take long to sort it out once players get suspended for poop they don't have to do in a game.
- Aussiepenguin

So if I have the puck, all I have to do is stand 2 feet from the puck until a guy lightly bumps me, fall into the boards, and he gets suspended? Cool.

The sad truth is that this is a high-paced, physical sport that has a lot of physical contact. Injuries happen. It will never go away. You can do your best to prevent it, but having "no contact" areas is not the way to go about it.

Also, I've never played above the semi-pro level, but even at that speed, there are accidental slashes and stick checks (technically a "slash") that happen due to close proximity and the physical design of a hockey stick. These things happen about 20 times per game, but have no direct impact on personal safety, yet you want them treated like someone 2-hands a guy with intent to breka his leg? No thank you.

What? I'm saying Sid dropped them with Dubi last season after getting fed up with abuse and there's been others.
- stowerkraut

Sorry, thought you were talking about this supposed Cooke "turtling."

Yeah yeah, Crosby's a crybaby and the worst face of the league the NHL has ever had and Ryan Wilson loved Tanner Glass until he walked from the Pens...

Anyways...

Glad we're doing preseason the right way. This is exactly the time to play guys like Sheary with guys like Malkin. A lot of us, myself included, considered Sheary the front runner to take the vacant 4RW spot. Now that player looks to be unquestionably Sundqvist. I wouldn't mind seeing Sheary with Malkin or Crosby one more time to see if last night was just a bad game, but looks like he's just another career NHLer. Shame. I really like him and Dea, but they'll never make it.

D might have been atrocious but I won't flip the panic switch until we see the entire NHL unit together. Letang and Maatta looked really really good and I think they'll be able to absolutely eat time. Like between 25 and 30 minutes. If they eat time like that and Ian Cole can pick it up in a lesser, mid pairing role, we'll be fine. I think the third pairing is gonna be bad any way we slice this thing, but if we can lean on Letang, Maatta, and Cole, the forwards and Fleury should be able to pick up the slack.

In a weird turn of events I think Scuderi is actually giving management no choice but NOT to play him. Guy didn't even play with Anderson last night! I know we shouldn't read into this but at what point do we realize that Scuderi is being played with ECHLers and isn't playin well. If your in Scuderi's situation and management tried to trade you and is actively looking at younger options then wouldn't you think you'd play your ass off to earn a roster spot? Instead he's acting entitled (DK's article) and not giving a rats ass on the ice (last night). Isn't he supposed to be a character guy?
- Victoro311

Other fans disparaging Crosby and Malkin is so old at this point. The same tired arguments from a decade ago.

Nothing to me has changed since Johnston said he was gonna have Kessel start with Crosby:
Kunitz-Crosby-Kessel
Perron-Malkin-Hornqvist
Dupuis-Bonino-Bennett
Plotnikov-Cullen-Fehr/Sundqvist

Other fans disparaging Crosby and Malkin is so old at this point. The same tired arguments from a decade ago.

Nothing to me has changed since Johnston said he was gonna have Kessel start with Crosby:
Kunitz-Crosby-Kessel
Perron-Malkin-Hornqvist
Dupuis-Bonino-Bennett
Plotnikov-Cullen-Fehr/Sundqvist
- jfkst1

It's a real shame. I feel like Ryan normally gives hockeybuzz interesting stuff to talk about (unlike a lot of other bloggers) but for the most part other teams' fans only come in to poop on Crosby and Malkin or mock Ryan for using "fancy stats". It gets old. Part of me would prefer it if RW would just stop writing posts that included Rangers or Blackhawks players so that the trolls would just buzz off.

Why is read this blog?
- wolfhounds

Speak much English buddy? Oh I see you're a Flyers fan so probably not then.

I don't think Crosby is either. He used to be, but as he's matured, he's cut down on it a lot. But since the spotlight shines on him, he gets a lot more criticism (some deserved) for it. Not every player can be Wayne Gretzky or Pavel Datsyuk.
- jmatchett383

Right. Unless you're live at a game and focused solely on Crosby or G (or whoever) the entire time they are on the ice, I don't know how one determines which players are the sneakiest, dirtiest, etc. So much crap happens behind the play and behind the cameras that we don't get to see the vast majority of it.

Speak much English buddy? Oh I see you're a Flyers fan so probably not then.
- Dcoms

C'mon...

Why Is Tanner Glass?

Right. Unless you're live at a game and focused solely on Crosby or G (or whoever) the entire time they are on the ice, I don't know how one determines which players are the sneakiest, dirtiest, etc. So much crap happens behind the play and behind the cameras that we don't get to see the vast majority of it.
- wolfhounds

I think that the underlying point is that most players have done it since time immemorial and to call out one player that may have been kind of a female dogy little kid but has grown up and isn't nearly as bad as a lot in the league is just silly.

What was your assessment/opinion of Avery when he played for NY?
- stowerkraut

Avery was a wiener, is a wiener, and always will be a wiener!! He had skill and had some what of a scoring touch. He was tough and he did fight his own battles. Don't remember him being dirty though He was fun to watch, but his nonsense was just too much. He wore out his welcome in NYR just like every where else.

I think that the underlying point is that most players have done it since time immemorial and to call out one player that may have been kind of a female dogy little kid but has grown up and isn't nearly as bad as a lot in the league is just silly.
- Victoro311

I know when I was a rich and famous 18 year old professional athlete, I never did anything stupid...

I can't even imagine the pressure or scrutiny some of these guys endure at such a young age.

Avery was a wiener, is a wiener, and always will be a wiener!! He had skill and had some what of a scoring touch. He was tough and he did fight his own battles. Don't remember him being dirty though He was fun to watch, but his nonsense was just too much. He wore out his welcome in NYR just like every where else.
- rrentz

I'm actually a massive Sean Avery fan. Growing up when if play sports games on the PS2 id always make dream teams. For my NHL games it was always a ton of studs minus Oveckin and plus Avery

Matt Cooke doesn't turtle. He stood and fought Thornton, and just last year he went with Shea Weber. Neal, on the other hand, would never answer for his hits and always backed down. And yes, he was MUCH dirtier than Cooke.
- jmatchett383

That's a stretch. Neal never hurt a player he definitely never caused a players retirement. Cooke hurt multiple players. I'd Neal on my team any day before Cooke.

I know when I was a rich and famous 18 year old professional athlete, I never did anything stupid...
- wolfhounds

Your kind is the worst. When I was the top prospect coming into the league I was the definition of class. I'd bring my lunch pail and hard hat to the ice, punch in, and go to work. I just got it.

Your kind is the worst. When I was the top prospect coming into the league I was the definition of class. I'd bring my lunch pail and hard hat to the ice, punch in, and go to work. I just got it.
- Victoro311

You're the solid draft horse - just gets the job done - not some fancy show pony.

I'm going to put on some bling now and see if I can get a date with that stand-up young lady Miley Cyrus. I'm sure that won't be a circus.

That's a stretch. Neal never hurt a player he definitely never caused a players retirement. Cooke hurt multiple players. I'd Neal on my team any day before Cooke.
- Dcoms

Neal certainly tried to hurt people. I definitely think the intent should be focused on more than the outcome. Punishing players for the injury results is reactionary and punishing with intent is going to set a standard.

You're the solid draft horse - just gets the job done - not some fancy show pony.

I'm going to put on some bling now and see if I can get a date with that stand-up young lady Miley Cyrus. I'm sure that won't be a circus.
- wolfhounds

While you are doing that, I'll be in the film room on my birthday. My highschool sweetheart wanted to take me out for a lovely dinner, but she knows we have an agreement: we can go out for three hours Saturday nights but every other night is for film.

To Johnny:

It's only trolling if you are simple-minded enough to let it get your panties in a wad...

Bobby Farnham is on the WBS practice roster at camp!! He isn't practicing with the big guys today. Only Wilson and Sestito are, outside of the ones we expected.

That's a stretch. Neal never hurt a player he definitely never caused a players retirement. Cooke hurt multiple players. I'd Neal on my team any day before Cooke.
- Dcoms

Again, you're judging result rather than intent. Aside from the hit on Savard (which, at the time, was legal: see Scott Stevens), the hits that Cooke threw weren't as bad as Neal's (flying elbow to "avoid" Couturier, kneeing Marchand in the head). At least Cooke would answer for his actions instead of running away and backing down like Neal.

So if I have the puck, all I have to do is stand 2 feet from the puck until a guy lightly bumps me, fall into the boards, and he gets suspended? Cool.

The sad truth is that this is a high-paced, physical sport that has a lot of physical contact. Injuries happen. It will never go away. You can do your best to prevent it, but having "no contact" areas is not the way to go about it.

Also, I've never played above the semi-pro level, but even at that speed, there are accidental slashes and stick checks (technically a "slash") that happen due to close proximity and the physical design of a hockey stick. These things happen about 20 times per game, but have no direct impact on personal safety, yet you want them treated like someone 2-hands a guy with intent to breka his leg? No thank you.
- jmatchett383

You're over exaggerating the actions of my comment. Remember I said the guys 'milking' penalties would get warned, fined suspended. Guys 'hit' the boards all the time I realise that but they stay on their feet, it's when they are checked into the boards - ie: Doan on Tanger, Rinaldo on who ever the player is in the blog, & go arse up is when it becomes dangerous. I'm not advocating a 'hands off' approach!

But while there is tolerance to illegal play there will be the Rinaldos of the world that everyone complains about. Teams/coaches/players/organisations are smart, they will always find ways to get the puck away from the player, it may not always be in a manner that is dangerous.

You cannot complain about illegal play if you justify it's existence.

I wouldn't call him a troll blogger, especially not to Tanner's level. Wilson may hand-pick his evidence for things, but Tanner just says ridiculous stuff intentionally. At least Wilson believes what he's selling.

And really, neither of them come close to the likes of Richard Cloutier (Yakupov + 1st for Weber) or Matthew Barry.
- jmatchett383

What if that 1st was Connor McDavid?