Except that he never hit him in the head, wasnt intentionally tagerting him to hurt him. Coots didnt get pulled off the ice on a stretcher and sent to a hospital. Lastly, Neal hasn't been running around the league for 5 years hitting ppl like this over and over again and again...so stop whining please!!
- taleisyreXIII

He would, except it's all he knows how to do. hasn't contributed any thing outside of ______ is dirty, _______ is a whiner, excuse, excuse, excuse

I think he didn't get a long suspension because that was his first time suspended. However, Torres was suspended and/or fined five previous times. Also, Neal is a star in this league and Torres isn't. Just my perspective.
- PensMalkin71

wait what? first time Neal was suspended?
He has been suspended previously for a hit from behind along with being fined for a different incident before.

Off topic a lil, and onto the Torres situation. I love the 25 games, but I would like to see it happen a little sooner with these kinds of hits. They showed in the video with Shannaban that it took Torres over 5 to 6 types of these hits over a few years to finally get to 25 games. All the players he has hurt badly and it takes that long for someone to hammer him with a suspension. These suspensions should be happening far more often and much sooner(like your second time). Matt Cooke has proven to us all that these types of hit are NOT accidental, and the league can learn a lot from his story this year. The NHL shouldn't allow the players to talk themselves out of these situations with dumb ass comments like "the heat of the moment". It clearly holds no water and Cookie is a perfect example why!

Found this on a Burnside article on ESPN:
"After the game, Pittsburgh owner Mario Lemieux, often visible but hardly an everyday presence in the locker room, walked through a nearly empty locker room and bent down to chat briefly with his netminder, who was still sitting at his stall in his pads. Lemieux shook Fleury's hand in what might have been a gesture of thanks, which, on this night, was the overriding sentiment of Penguins fans everywhere."
Think that helps Fleury's confidence?
- Rawdog9755

I love how our organization is always there for him after he has bad games. If that was Bryz playing that bad the first 3 games he woud get a mock cheer after every save and boo-ed.

wait what? first time Neal was suspended?
He has been suspended for a hit from behind along with being fined for a different incident before.
- opeth_pa

Really? When?

wait what? first time Neal was suspended?
He has been suspended previously for a hit from behind along with being fined for a different incident before.
- opeth_pa

To be fair, the fine came from a high stick that happened while he was falling down from a PK Subban slewfoot

The fine was mindblowing

To be fair, the fine came from a high stick that happened while he was falling down from a PK Subban slewfoot

The fine was mindblowing
- nhindian

Oops, now I remember.

Really? When?
- PensMalkin71

If I remember right while he was on Dallas. Looking it up now.

If I remember right while he was on Dallas. Looking it up now.
- opeth_pa

Okay, cause I want to know. If so it was probably a 1 gamer.

Okay, cause I want to know. If so it was probably a 1 gamer.
- PensMalkin71

he hit someone from Columbus i believe.

Would that count, cause they are basically an AHL level caliber team every year?

wait what? first time Neal was suspended?
He has been suspended previously for a hit from behind along with being fined for a different incident before.
- opeth_pa

But this is the key man, Hit from behind a few years ago, and an accidental high stick from a trip from Slewban. That is it. None of these are the same types of play. They do not stack the suspensions just because. They have to be the same kind of dirty play all the time. Watch the Shannaban video on Torres and you will learn this. He even shows all the exact same hits he has delivered in the past few years. That is why its 25. I will not say it is right, but this is how it is handled.

Neal has been suspended before.

Those hits weren't even close to being the same.

Hossa left on a stretcher, Coots and/or Giroux were fine.

Not every hit has to come back to an incident involving a Penguin.

If I remember right while he was on Dallas. Looking it up now.
- opeth_pa

He had two high hits while in Dallas.

I think he got a 2-gamer for one and no suspension for the other.

I believe the 2gamer was out of the 18th month window for repeat offender status (but apparently that doesn't matter anymore since Shanahan went WAY back for the hits on Torres. Dunno if he took them into account for length or just as support for his decision)

he hit someone from Columbus i believe.

Would that count, cause they are basically an AHL level caliber team every year?
- ryman1566

Too bad Mason fell off a cliff after his rookie year.

Too bad Mason fell off a cliff after his rookie year.
- nhindian

He wasnt that amazing in London. It was a shock he did that well in the NHL. He just came back to form once the league figured him out. Ala Jim Carey.

2 game suspension in 2009 for hitting Derek Dorsett from behind

At no point did I bring this back to Neal..A pens fan mentioned that this was Neals first suspension to which I responded.

My own personal opinion on Neal.

1. It was ridiculous that he got suspended for the run at Giroux.
2. he should have been suspended 1 - games for the hit on Couturier.
3. It doesnt matter anymore because it was 2 games ago.

2 game suspension in 2009 for hitting Derek Dorsett from behind
- opeth_pa

so?

He wasnt that amazing in London. It was a shock he did that well in the NHL. He just came back to form once the league figured him out. Ala Jim Carey.
- taleisyreXIII

It came out a few weeks (months?) ago that he just realized he was playing with pads that were too small for him and some shots were hitting his bare skin and causing some injuries.

I think that was getting into his head and he was avoiding the puck.

so?
- taleisyreXIII

Read the previous posts..Malkin71 said this was Neal's first suspension and I was replying to him saying he was wrong.

Read the previous posts..Malkin71 said this was Neal's first suspension and I was replying to him saying he was wrong.
- opeth_pa[/quot

OK, but the point in the end?? He barely deserved the 1 game he got this time.

[quote=opeth_pa]Read the previous posts..Malkin71 said this was Neal's first suspension and I was replying to him saying he was wrong.
- taleisyreXIII[/quot

OK, but the point in the end?? He barely deserved the 1 game her got this time.

I think he got pretty lucky only getting 1 game.

[quote=opeth_pa]Read the previous posts..Malkin71 said this was Neal's first suspension and I was replying to him saying he was wrong.
- taleisyreXIII[/quot

OK, but the point in the end?? He barely deserved the 1 game her got this time.

We survived it, really is water under the bridge. Tomorrow is all that counts!

Neal has been suspended before.

Those hits weren't even close to being the same.

Hossa left on a stretcher, Coots and/or Giroux were fine.

Not every hit has to come back to an incident involving a Penguin.
- canadianpenfan

I think this is exactly what is wrong with the suspension system Shanny has going. If you start suspending players based on the ACT rather than the RESULT I think you see a lot of change. By suspending on the result rather than the act tho, many players are getting away with things and feel like they can keep doing it. If that changes along with the idea that you can't suspend star players, then you will see change in the league. Whether it is Giroux, Crosby, Stamkos, Teows or Torres, the suspension should be the same based only on the act itself. I just can't subscribe to the notion of suspending based on whether or not there was an injury seeing as it obviously hasn't worked.

It came out a few weeks (months?) ago that he just realized he was playing with pads that were too small for him and some shots were hitting his bare skin and causing some injuries.

I think that was getting into his head and he was avoiding the puck.
- nhindian

LOL, well that is brutal if true. No idea if you are serious, because I am not up with my CBJ news. If you are not being faceious then that is bad!! A pro NHL tender show know his sh.t better than that haha.

I think this is exactly what is wrong with the suspension system Shanny has going. If you start suspending players based on the ACT rather than the RESULT I think you see a lot of change. By suspending on the result rather than the act tho, many players are getting away with things and feel like they can keep doing it. If that changes along with the idea that you can't suspend star players, then you will see change in the league. Whether it is Giroux, Crosby, Stamkos, Teows or Torres, the suspension should be the same based only on the act itself. I just can't subscribe to the notion of suspending based on whether or not there was an injury seeing as it obviously hasn't worked.
- vipeviper

Agree 100%

It also encourages diving if you base it on result