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

Yeah, there's butt ends galore and players leading with their fists for "clean" checks all of the time.

But please show me where players recklessly flail their sticks around at other players on a nightly basis, because that's not apples to apples.

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

Cool.

Yeah, there's butt ends galore and players leading with their fists for "clean" checks all of the time.

But please show me where players recklessly flail their sticks around at other players on a nightly basis, because that's not apples to apples.
- jmatchett383

I'd show ya but its out of camera view...

A big roundhouse swing with your stick IS NOT justified by getting hit in a previously injured area.
Finding any justification for such an action is like saying, "I understand why 'A' kicked with his skate at 'B'. 'A' tripped 'B' who just came back from missing X games due to "leg" injury.
Both the stick and the skate can cause serious injury to someone.
I do agree that a penalty should have been called on the puncher. No justification for that "non call".

A big roundhouse swing with your stick IS NOT justified by getting hit in a previously injured area.
Finding any justification for such an action is like saying, "I understand why 'A' kicked with his skate at 'B'. 'A' tripped 'B' who just came back from missing X games due to "leg" injury.
Both the stick and the skate can cause serious injury to someone.
I do agree that a penalty should have been called on the puncher. No justification for that "non call".
- milamidb1

At first glance I thought you were giving us the 30 lives in Contra code.

I'd show ya but its out of camera view...
- MattStrat

I had season tix to the big, meany-pants Flyers for 6 years, and I can count on one hand the times I've seen players baseball swing their sticks around the ice.

I had season tix to the big, meany-pants Flyers for 6 years, and I can count on one hand the times I've seen players baseball swing their sticks around the ice.
- jmatchett383

Baseball swing?

Theres lots of one handed stuff going on.

Baseball swing?

Theres lots of one handed stuff going on.
- MattStrat

Yes, a one-handed baseball swing.

I'm just gonna go and say you're a liar. Because swinging your stick recklessly like that is not anything near a common occurrence.

Hell, I played 2 years in a semi-pro goon league and never saw that once.

A big roundhouse swing with your stick IS NOT justified by getting hit in a previously injured area.
Finding any justification for such an action is like saying, "I understand why 'A' kicked with his skate at 'B'. 'A' tripped 'B' who just came back from missing X games due to "leg" injury.
Both the stick and the skate can cause serious injury to someone.
I do agree that a penalty should have been called on the puncher. No justification for that "non call".
- milamidb1

I don’t think many of us, besides maybe Matt who is seemingly dying on the “this isn’t that bad” hill, are saying it’s justified. Malkin earned his suspension on a wreckless, non-hockey play, and if the league gave a damn about player safety they should have come down harder. What some of us are saying is that we understand why Geno had the reaction and wish the league would handle roughing better so that maybe stuff like this doesn’t happen. Understand where Geno is coming from, should have handled it differently such as fighting Raffl. Kinda how I understand someone’s mentality for assaulting someone who your wife is cheating on you with. I get it, but you’re still going to jail.

I don’t think many of us, besides maybe Matt who is seemingly dying on the “this isn’t that bad” hill, are saying it’s justified. Malkin earned his suspension on a wreckless, non-hockey play, and if the league gave a damn about player safety they should have come down harder. What some of us are saying is that we understand why Geno had the reaction and wish the league would handle roughing better so that maybe stuff like this doesn’t happen. Understand where Geno is coming from, should have handled it differently such as fighting Raffl. Kinda how I understand someone’s mentality for assaulting someone who your wife is cheating on you with. I get it, but you’re still going to jail.
- Victoro311

Absolutely. Hell, if they gave Raffl a game or 2 for basically sucker punching a dude in the head, I'd get it, but they'd have to give a lengthier one to the dude who recklessly swung his stick.

So it's partially on the NHL/NHLPA/DoPS for their leniency is all facets for allowing things like this to be handles with a slap on the wrist, if at all.

I don’t think many of us, besides maybe Matt who is seemingly dying on the “this isn’t that bad” hill, are saying it’s justified. Malkin earned his suspension on a wreckless, non-hockey play, and if the league gave a damn about player safety they should have come down harder. What some of us are saying is that we understand why Geno had the reaction and wish the league would handle roughing better so that maybe stuff like this doesn’t happen. Understand where Geno is coming from, should have handled it differently such as fighting Raffl. Kinda how I understand someone’s mentality for assaulting someone who your wife is cheating on you with. I get it, but you’re still going to jail.
- Victoro311

I'm not thinking the league handling roughing different changes Malkin's response to this. He's a hot head and finally is seeing punishment for it. Malkin reminds me of Jagr. You know physical play can get either off their game so you do it and pray you don't get caught but that they catch the retaliation.

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

Lol wut

Yes, a one-handed baseball swing.

I'm just gonna go and say you're a liar. Because swinging your stick recklessly like that is not anything near a common occurrence.

Hell, I played 2 years in a semi-pro goon league and never saw that once.
- jmatchett383

I wasnt saying that something as ferocious and vile as Malkin action was happening every game. Im saying there's sh!tty and shady stick work happening a lot of games behind the play. I still play 3 or 4 times a week and still see it. Ive had it happen to me numerous times, one time leaving a scar on my face.

I will say though there was much more of this garbage in the 90's.

I wasnt saying that something as ferocious and vile as Malkin action was happening every game. Im saying there's sh!tty and shady stick work happening a lot of games behind the play. I still play 3 or 4 times a week and still see it. Ive had it happen to me numerous times, one time leaving a scar on my face.

I will say though there was much more of this garbage in the 90's.
- MattStrat

Like I said, butt ends and taps happen all of the time, yes.

That's worlds away from taking a wild swing with your stick.

And yes, you've told us all numerous times over the past few days about your 4 inch scar. We get it, it happened to you once too.

I'm not thinking the league handling roughing different changes Malkin's response to this. He's a hot head and finally is seeing punishment for it. Malkin reminds me of Jagr. You know physical play can get either off their game so you do it and pray you don't get caught but that they catch the retaliation.
- dragonoffrost

Oh I agree that this was a split second reaction by Malkin and that no matter how the league officiated games, if Raffl had done that and been called for a minor, Malkin still does that. I’m saying that if the league was more strict on roughing, particularly shots to the head, Raffl maybe doesn’t even do that in the first place. Raffl isn’t a dirty guy. I think he was just playing within what he understood to be unspokenly leagal.

I don’t think many of us, besides maybe Matt who is seemingly dying on the “this isn’t that bad” hill, are saying it’s justified. Malkin earned his suspension on a wreckless, non-hockey play, and if the league gave a damn about player safety they should have come down harder. What some of us are saying is that we understand why Geno had the reaction and wish the league would handle roughing better so that maybe stuff like this doesn’t happen. Understand where Geno is coming from, should have handled it differently such as fighting Raffl. Kinda how I understand someone’s mentality for assaulting someone who your wife is cheating on you with. I get it, but you’re still going to jail.
- Victoro311

No I've said many times its unjustifiable, reckless, shouldn't of happened, should never happen and he should be punished.

Oh I agree that this was a split second reaction by Malkin and that no matter how the league officiated games, if Raffl had done that and been called for a minor, Malkin still does that. I’m saying that if the league was more strict on roughing, particularly shots to the head, Raffl maybe doesn’t even do that in the first place. Raffl isn’t a dirty guy. I think he was just playing within what he understood to be unspokenly leagal.
- Victoro311

Know what would have stopped all of this?



Ryan
Reaves

This is what happens when you let the players take care of it on the ice.

Know what would have stopped all of this?



Ryan
Reaves


- jmatchett383

Oh so the conversation is going here, is it? I'm out.

This is what happens when you let the players take care of it on the ice.
- eNDSo

Agreed, back in the brawl-filled, helmetless days of the 70s and 80s, it was commonplace to find players slashing at each other heads multiple times on a nightly basis.

Wait...it wasn't?

Oh so the conversation is going here, is it? I'm out.


- Victoro311

Oh I agree that this was a split second reaction by Malkin and that no matter how the league officiated games, if Raffl had done that and been called for a minor, Malkin still does that. I’m saying that if the league was more strict on roughing, particularly shots to the head, Raffl maybe doesn’t even do that in the first place. Raffl isn’t a dirty guy. I think he was just playing within what he understood to be unspokenly leagal.
- Victoro311

Trust me Raffl would have done something else to get Geno's ire. He knew what he was doing. Therien was great at doing it to Jagr.

Agreed, back in the brawl-filled, helmetless days of the 70s and 80s, it was commonplace to find players slashing at each other heads multiple times on a nightly basis.

Wait...it wasn't?
- jmatchett383

Ankles were fair game...

Ankles were fair game...
- dragonoffrost

Still are.

Trust me Raffl would have done something else to get Geno's ire. He knew what he was doing. Therien was great at doing it to Jagr.
- dragonoffrost

Well that’s just a Geno problem at that point. I’d still rather not have people punching people in the back of the head.