With another second line on the bench or in the AHL.
- boatescnk

i don't see it.

merkely looked completely lost the other night.

strome has been useless.

1-2 more years before things start to come together for the yotes.

I had no issue with the hit on MacKinnon. He was just finishing the check. The sucker punch is the only issue and it is a big one. You're (frank)ing dumb if you think Girard was going after Rinaldo. He wasn't even looking at him and he's 5'10" 162 lbs.

Had no issues on the hit on MacK. He tried to blow him up and couldn't take down the big moose.

But his sucker punch on Girard. Give me a break with all the guys, Coyotes media guys in Tyson Nash and Biz Nasty who are saying Girard was going to go after him so he was defending himself.

Girard was not engaging with him, just bc he skated near him doesn't mean he was going to jump Rinaldo...the guy is a scum bag and if his first instinct of on I hit a guy so I need to fight. Thats the issue, players that are wired to punch their way out need to get out of the league

I'm a bigger fan of Baldo Rinaldo.

The only reason to keep playing this guy is he increases your chance of finishing 31st overall. Even then, I'd rather have seen Shane Doan come back for one more year. At least he was a positive locker room influence.

This team clearly didn't intend to bottom out and tank with the moves made last off-season. I think both Tocchet and the wiz kid get pink slips the day after the regular season ends.

Being at the game Saturday, I can see why Rinaldo punched the guy. He was skating at him, and as stated, he is a fighter who probably figured that the kid was coming to get the pound of flesh. It looks horrible looking at it on film, but being there live in the split second Rinaldo had to react, I can see it. Now, he did get his as Johnson absolutely smoked him, but that leads to another point.

He shouldn't even be playing on this team. Luke Schenn can be the muscle if needed and Zac is taking time away from DuClair, Merkeley, Perlini etc. This is was is most frustrating to me a season ticket holder. I get it's a rebuild, well then let the young guys play. But to keep rolling out Rinaldo, Cousins, Reider, Martinook etc is a determent to letting the young guys play and see what they can do. I see a lot of selling my remaining tickets for this year until they actually get rid of the useless 3rd and 4th liners and let the young ins start playing significant minutes...
- gmiel1980

Thats why scum bags like that need to get thrown out of the league. So if anyone skates near Rinaldo he is entitled to sucker punch them bc he thought a guy he has 30+ pounds on was going to "get him"

Doesn't matter if it was a split second or not, his first instinct was to grab someone and sucker punch them. He didn't try to skate off, square up and fight "by the code"
Thats not a fighter, nor an enforcer, thats a scum bag cheap shot artist. And there is no room in the league for guys like him
.
There is no defending it, every decision he made was one of a talentless hack, he cant even be an "enforcer properly".

I've seen it a hundred times. Mackinnon passed the puck before he got hit.
- James_Tanner

I'm sure you're pulling my leg, Tanner. For sure you would know the rules...

It is only fitting that Tocchet, who was a bit of a punk on the ice, but could at least play the game and stick up for himself, is wasting ice time that should be going to young players like Strome on 5th line hacks like Rinaldo.

Both could be out of the NHL and the league would be better for it.

It was a clean hit all the way. The timing was fine, not late. Never left his feet upon delivery and didn't target the head.
And it's not a sucker punch either. Rinaldo is getting jumped after delivering a hit. Shame on Girard for not coming prepared after stepping in. If he wants to stick up for his teammate he'd better be ready to battle.

That said, I have no dog in this fight. Rinaldo is a buffoon otherwise, but no suspension warranted here.

except duclair and domi aren't that good and merkley and strome suck - right now.

some young players (keller) figure out the nhl right away. others take more time to develop.
- Tumbleweed

But rather than giving fans a steady diet of Richardson, Reider, Archibald, Rinaldo, Cousins, etc. I say play those young skilled players and let them entertain the fans while doing it.

I'm sure you're pulling my leg, Tanner. For sure you would know the rules...
- 21peter

I know the rules. I just think it was slightly late. I also don't think you should hammer anyone going through the neutral zone like that. Or get your leg up.

Like I said, it's not the worst hit. I didn't say he should be suspended. But it was dirty..

But rather than giving fans a steady diet of Richardson, Reider, Archibald, Rinaldo, Cousins, etc. I say play those young skilled players and let them entertain the fans while doing it.
- James_Tanner

tocchet is in over his head.

putting cousins out against florida in the last minute pretty much sealed it. he doesn't know what he's doing.

It was a clean hit all the way. The timing was fine, not late. Never left his feet upon delivery and didn't target the head.
And it's not a sucker punch either. Rinaldo is getting jumped after delivering a hit. Shame on Girard for not coming prepared after stepping in. If he wants to stick up for his teammate he'd better be ready to battle.

That said, I have no dog in this fight. Rinaldo is a buffoon otherwise, but no suspension warranted here.
- Jere

I say he get six game, but should get 15.

I know the rules. I just think it was slightly late. I also don't think you should hammer anyone going through the neutral zone like that. Or get your leg up.

Like I said, it's not the worst hit. I didn't say he should be suspended. But it was dirty..
- James_Tanner

Wait...you just replied to me that he should be suspended.

I had no issue with the hit on MacKinnon. He was just finishing the check. The sucker punch is the only issue and it is a big one. You're (frank)ing dumb if you think Girard was going after Rinaldo. He wasn't even looking at him and he's 5'10" 162 lbs.
- westonie

Then what was Girard doing?

Then what was Girard doing?
- Jere

Continuing to play, skating near a guy and not even looking in his direction isn’t any indication that he was going after him

Ronaldo is a scum bag meat head and sucker punched a non engaged player. Girard did nothing wrong here

Wait...you just replied to me that he should be suspended.


- Jere

Got a quote on that? I said he should be suspended for the sucker punch. All I said about the hit was that it was dirty.

Continuing to play, skating near a guy and not even looking in his direction isn’t any indication that he was going after him


- DDM-Coga

Ronaldo is a scum bag meat head

and sucker punched a non engaged player. Girard did nothing wrong here

Can't argue that point.

I know the rules. I just think it was slightly late. I also don't think you should hammer anyone going through the neutral zone like that. Or get your leg up.

Like I said, it's not the worst hit. I didn't say he should be suspended. But it was dirty..
- James_Tanner

Uh...?

I say he get six game, but should get 15.
- James_Tanner

Just to be clear, suspension for the punch or hit?

Just to be clear, suspension for the punch or hit?
- Jere

The punch. I don't how this is unclear.

The punch. I don't how this is unclear.
- James_Tanner

OK, relax. It was unclear to me the way you wrote it.

I don't know how you can say that hit was dirty. His leg came up because he tried to hit MacKinnon who is built like a tank and got sent flying. Back to your safe space.

Calling a 20 year old who is on pace to win the AHL scoring title a bust after 18 career NHL games (90% of which he skated for 11 minutes with a checker like Richardson) is perhaps the most ridiculous thing I have heard said on this board in four years of writing here.
- James_Tanner

Lies, ive read lots of more ridiculous things in your blogs

Plus he's been called a bust 100 times before in your blog....i thought you quit the comments?

Merry Christmas, hopefully you and Jr are getting lots of rink use.

Tanner-- I'm not a Rinaldo fan, but not sure how anyone could think that was a dirty hit on MacKinnon.

I've seen it a hundred times. Mackinnon passed the puck before he got hit.
- James_Tanner

Sorry James, not remotely close to a dirty hit...The hate is just clouding your judgement. Nhl you can finish your check...he still had another second or 2 to hit him. The Avs players should be the ones suspended.