Why would Malkin think that intent matters? As you say, the league he plays for stipulates intent never matters. The change will happen in the players minds when the change happens in the owners minds.

I honestly believe the fans take this stuff way more seriously than the players themselves. I guarantee if you ask the majority of the players if they favor heavier suspensions for ugly incidents or continue status quo, they'd easily take status quo.
- madmike71

Yes, the DoPS has created the "no harm, no foul" environment, I agree.

And if you think the players would rather heavier suspensions, I think you'd get a different answer if you ask guys like Marc Savard as opposed to Brad Marchand.

wait wut
- DeflatedPucks

As in fought him anyways even if Raffl tried to turtle.

i think mutually agreed mediation at the end of every game and a make-up-hug can solve a lot of nhl bad blood.
- DeflatedPucks

Mandated man butt love should be used as the preferred player dispute resolution technique.

As in fought him anyways even if Raffl tried to turtle.
- Victoro311

So you DON'T want Malkin jumping on Raffl skates-first?

Happy Gilmore would not approve.

Mandated man butt love should be used as the preferred player dispute resolution technique.
- jmatchett383

Of CoUrSe A fLyErS fAn WoUlD hAvE tHaT tAkE

at least malkin has a backup job ready. scott gordon thinks malkin is pirates-level material

You keep saying this, but how do you know? Regardless, recklessly flailing your stick out, no matter where it's directed, is never cool.

And I said class because classy and embarassing are opposite attributes.
- jmatchett383

I figured shameless to be more of an opposite.

I know he didnt because it was a split section reaction out of frustration. He wanted to let Raffl know he was being a pr!ck. Ive been around this so man times. Like I said after it first happened, a buddy of mine got really frustrated with me and whipped his stick back at me in frustration not really looking and it got high and hit my chin. 4 stitches and a scar. If it hit me anywhere else below the neck I'm barely feeling it. Malkin is a strong man whipping a less than 2 pound stick with one hand behind him. These things happen almost every game but the stick doesn't go that high accidentally. Plus a lot of times the retaliation out of frustration like this is inthe form of a two hander and below the knee area. Malkin was totally reckless and irresponsible, totally worthy of suspension, but I know he wasnt aiming for head. Some things you just know.

Yes, the DoPS has created the "no harm, no foul" environment, I agree.

And if you think the players would rather heavier suspensions, I think you'd get a different answer if you ask guys like Marc Savard as opposed to Brad Marchand.
- jmatchett383

Sure you'd get different answers from different players, but I bet 80% would prefer to police the game themselves instead of large suspensions and fines. 80% might even be low.

As in fought him anyways even if Raffl tried to turtle.
- Victoro311

i appreciated what he did vs the Jets with a fight when he put a not-so-nice hit the game before. why tom sestito also got involved is beyond me.

Bottom 6 should be
Pearson McCann Hornqvist
Simon Blueger ZAR
Cullen and Wilson are both garbage at this point.

I figured shameless to be more of an opposite.

I know he didnt because its was split section reaction out of frustration. He wanted to let Raffl know he was being a pr!ck. Ive been around this so man times. Like I said after it first happened, a buddy of mine got really frustrated with me and whipped his stick back at me in frustration not really looking and it got high and hit my chin. 4 stitches and a scar. If it hit me anywhere else below the neck I'm barely feeling it. Malkin is a strong man whipping a less than 2 pound stick with one hand behind him. These things happen almost every game but the stick doesn't go that high accidentally. Plus a lot of times the retaliation out of frustration like this is inthe form of a two hander and below the knee area. Malkin was totally reckless and irresponsible, totally worthy of suspension, but I know he wasnt aiming for head. Some things you just know.
- MattStrat

Players heedlessly flail their stick around almost every game? Maybe in that crazy Quebec league, not the NHL.

Either way, I disagree that you can't aim your stick in a split-moment of frustration, because I did it (and my dad immediately physically removed me from the bench after my shift).

Bottom 6 should be
Pearson McCann Hornqvist
Simon Blueger ZAR
Cullen and Wilson are both garbage at this point.
- dcoms77

I cant call Wilson garbage and for a man that plays so physical and hits well I cant believe its you saying this.

He's deserving of much more production than his stats show... maybe he's just one of those guys who does a lot right but cant get on the score sheet often. I dont know that I have a enough sample size to draw that conclusion yet, though I'm getting close.

Raffl diving like he got shot is the only embarrassing thing about any of this.
- MattStrat

Reckless, blind swinging of sticks around the head height is pretty embarrassing too.

Players heedlessly flail their stick around almost every game? Maybe in that crazy Quebec league, not the NHL.

Either way, I disagree that you can't aim your stick in a split-moment of frustration, because I did it (and my dad immediately physically removed me from the bench after my shift).
- jmatchett383

There's a lot of sh!tty and shady stick work going on in games behind the play and out of camera view.

I cant call Wilson garbage and for a man that plays so physical and hits well I cant believe its you saying this.

He's deserving of much more production than his stats show... maybe he's just one of those guys who does a lot right but cant get on the score sheet often. I dont know that I have a enough sample size to draw that conclusion yet, though I'm getting close.
- MattStrat

If he can't score then no point of being in the lineup

Reckless, blind swinging of sticks around the head height is pretty embarrassing too.
- j.boyd919

At least it came from real emotion and nothing was faked.

Players heedlessly flail their stick around almost every game? Maybe in that crazy Quebec league, not the NHL.

Either way, I disagree that you can't aim your stick in a split-moment of frustration, because I did it (and my dad immediately physically removed me from the bench after my shift).
- jmatchett383

patrick o'sully's dad unfortunately didn't stop at this.

If he can't score then no point of being in the lineup
- Guile

Yeah ...6 points in 28 games isnt much.

At least it came from real emotion and nothing was faked.
- MattStrat

Sure.

Sure.
- j.boyd919

K

at least malkin has a backup job ready. scott gordon thinks malkin is pirates-level material
- DeflatedPucks

Well I got to say he did miss the pitch

Malkin is perfectly fine when he is kneeing goalies who have the puck frozen, but can't take a hit? In case he didn't know, the game has been played for decades where players target an injured player at the point of their injury. That is why there are so many UBI's and LBI's listed in today's games. It's a shame he is learning how to be a crybaby from the best!

patrick o'sully's dad unfortunately didn't stop at this.
- DeflatedPucks

His dad did this to him on a daily basis.

What a nut job that dude was.

Quotes not working but again...the negligence of the league in condoning punches to the back of the head/neck (just as an example - Raffl isn't the only one to have ever done it) and not properly enforce the actual rules breeds overreaction by players (Malkin was wrong here no doubt) but the fact he dove irritates me even more. The NHL is turning into soccer now, with dirty crap being done (Marchand type stuff) with no penalty, then calling the reactive "play." It's just as idiotic as penalizing intent or the result as opposed to the actual event. Malkin deserved more than one, but he shouldn't have been in the position to begin with if the league employed refs that are cognitively functioning.

Malkin is perfectly fine when he is kneeing goalies who have the puck frozen, but can't take a hit? In case he didn't know, the game has been played for decades where players target an injured player at the point of their injury. That is why there are so many UBI's and LBI's listed in today's games. It's a shame he is learning how to be a crybaby from the best!
- powerenforcer