Alex Ovechkin Hits, Slashes Kris Letang, Scrums Develop

Exciting game in Pittsburgh tonight. Washington Capitals forward slashed Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang on the back of the legs and then Letang blew a tire. It was kind of an odd the way that things transpired. Letang has returned to the game.

Should there have been a penalty on Ovie?

Bedlam here in the 'Burgh. Pens losing their cool and refs losing control. #Caps would be wise to take advantage, if they're able. #CapsPens
— Mike Vogel (@VogsCaps) February 18, 2015

Philadelphia Flyers: Zac Rinaldo has been suspended for eight games

View image | gettyimages.com

Zac Rinaldo is a reckless player and I was hoping that his suspension was going to be longer than eight games. To be honest with you, I was hoping that Rinaldo was going to be suspended for 10 games.

Do you think Rinaldo's suspension is long enough, or would you like it to be longers, too?

The Department of Players Safety has levied some stiff penalties in the last week. Chicago Blackhawks forward Daniel Carcillo was given a six-game suspension for cross-checking Winnipeg Jets forward Mathieu Perreault. Both players are repeat offenders. No this 8 game suspension for Rinaldo.

Philadelphia's Zac Rinaldo has been suspended for eight games for charging and boarding Pittsburgh's Kris Letang.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) January 27, 2015

Philadelphia's Zac Rinaldo has waived his right to an in-person hearing. A phone hearing will be conducted Monday afternoon.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) January 22, 2015

Related articles

• Philadelphia Flyers: Forward Zac Rinaldo on his game misconduct(ndgoon.blogspot.com)

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Philadelphia Flyers: Forward Zac Rinaldo on his game misconduct

In the post-game media scrum, Zac Rinaldo said, "I changed the whole game."

I am going to predict that Zac Rinaldo will have the book thrown at him for his dirty hit on Kris Letang. I am going to say that he gets at least a 6-8 game suspension he deserves more. Rinaldo is a repeat offender so he "should" be suspended 10 games.

I didn't intend to hurt Kris tonight. I'm very sorry I did. At no point did I ever "joke" about such a thing. These reports are untrue.
— Zac Rinaldo (@RinaldoZac) January 21, 2015

* Zac Rinaldo - Supplemental Discipline History * #NHLonNBC #RivalryNight pic.twitter.com/hjP3eOb73v
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) January 22, 2015

Zac Rinaldo Boards Kris Letang

First, this is an awful, nasty hit. I know it's been said before, but these are the types of hits that need to be removed from the game of hockey, forever.

Since Zac Rinaldo is a repeat offender (he's been suspended by the NHL for a total of six games) he could get hit with a lengthy suspension. I know, this sounds like groundhog day.

For those keeping track at home, Rinaldo was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct.

First I realize that hockey is a contact sport that everything happens at a very high rate of speed, but Rinaldo had no other intention, but to take out Kris Letang. I don't think we can blame the victim on this one. (Zac Rinaldo's Suspension History)

Apr 07, 2014	Suspended by the NHL for 4 games.
Feb 13, 2012	Suspended by the NHL for 2 games.
Feb 04, 2012	Fined $5,000 by the NHL.

Flyers are in Penguins' heads

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. San Jose Sharks (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Another good article that I found this evening.

BRUCE ARTHUR, POSTMEDIA NEWS ---- “We’re playing playoff hockey,” Crosby said. “They’re doing the same things we are.”
Laughable assertions, in this game. Only one team was clearly headhunting. This was the franchise whose star player, Crosby, is the face of the league’s concussion issues, and whose owner, Mario Lemieux, wrote a letter deriding the New York Islanders for doing just this in 2011.

“I don’t think they’re calculated, but there are some guys running around that usually don’t do that,” said Flyers defenceman Kimmo Timonen, who was thrown out for fighting Kris Letang in the wild first period. “I don’t know why you change your game for the playoffs, I don’t like that. But if they think they’re going to win that way, go ahead and do it.”

Underlying all this is the fact that the Penguins, who compiled the league’s fourth-best record in the regular season, have come apart at the seams. Before Game 3, defenceman Letang had said, “We’ll see the true face of our team. And I think we’ll see if guys have character, and we’ll prove a lot.”

The author Bruce Arthur does have a point, the Penguins don't hold the moral high ground and I think the rest of the league is getting to the point where they are tiring of the Penguins antics, they are kind of the Vancouver Canucks of the east. This was highly evident last week with the rant by John Torttorella's on the Penguins and their star players being a bunch of whiners. Torttorella was fined for his comments but his message was received by the fans around the NHL.

Related articles

• Flyers score 8 more to put Pens on the brink (cbc.ca)

Don't clean the garage when the game is on, you might miss something

I stepped out to clean the garage and I missed this fight between Sidney Crosby vs Claude Giroux and this bout between Kris Letang vs Kimmo Timonen. The moral of the story is that you can clean the garage some other day.

Related articles

• Playoff Previews: Penguins vs Flyers (pubpools.wordpress.com)

Max Pacioretty hits Kris Letang in the head.

Montreal Canadians forward Max Pacioretty has a phone call from Brendan Shanahan on Monday, I am going to say that Pacioretty gets a one - two game suspension for this hit on Letang. This is the type of hits that the NHL is trying to eliminate. The impressive fact was that Letang went to the locker room and had his nose set and then returned to the game to score the game winning goal in overtime.

Montreal forward Max Pacioretty will have a phone hearing with the NHL Monday morning for his hit on Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang during the third period of the Penguins' overtime win in Montreal Saturday night.[NHL.COM]

Here is what the Montreal Gazette has to say on the matter. Notice how the Montreal paper had to mention the Chara hit when bringing up this issue. I don't think that fact is going to help Pacioretty in this instance.

— Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty faces a phone hearing with NHL disciplinarian for a head hit that broke the nose of Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, according to NHL.com.

Letang, hurt in the third period, returned in overtime and scored the winning goal. He said after afterward that Pacioretty apologized to him.

Pacioretty returned this season after breaking a neck vertebra when Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara checked him into the end of a glass partition in March. That play didn’t draw a suspension.

Related articles

• Habs’ Pacioretty faces hearing for hit (theglobeandmail.com)
• Canadien Pacioretty faces hearing over hit on Pens' Letang (vancouversun.com)
• Canadien Pacioretty faces hearing over hit on Pens' Letang (canada.com)

Are you confused yet?

I am wondering if anyone is confused yet? The hit above by Nashville Predators defenseman Shea Weber's hit is worth a $2,500 fine by the National Hockey League. Color my cynical but there just seems to be too many inconsistencies in the recent rulings by NHL Director of Player Safety Brendan Shanahan.




This hit by Kris Letang  on Alexander Burmistrov of the Winnipeg Jets, in my opinion isn't as bad of a hit as the one by Nashville Predators defenseman Shea Weber's on Jannik Hansen. Yet one hit is worth two game suspension while the other hit is worth a 2,500.00 fine which is really a drop in the bucket for someone that is making 4-5 million dollars a year to play hockey. WTF? I am really confused here.

Kris Letang suspended for two games for hit on Alex Burmistrov

I think that some of the ruling to come out of the Department of Player Safety have been puzzling and I just don't think that this hit warranted a two game suspension. It's not like Kris Letang is a dirty hockey players, and this isn't a Matt Cooke we are talking about.

Don't get me wrong I am glad that Colin Campbell is not spinning the Wheel of Justice anymore but do we really need to suspend every single players that commits a checking from behind penalty? I think it's a legitimate question. The NHL is throwing the book at players that don't have history of being dirty players.

NEW YORK – Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang has been suspended, without pay, for two games for boarding Wiinnipeg forward Alex Burmistrov during NHL Game No. 66 Monday night in Winnipeg, the National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety announced today.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and based on his average annual salary, Letang will forfeit $37,837.84. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

At 13:08 of the third period, Letang hit Burmistrov from behind, driving him into the boards. Letang was assessed a minor penalty for boarding.

Letang will miss games tonight at Minnesota and Thursday, Oct. 20, vs. Montreal. He will be eligible to return Saturday, Oct. 22, vs. New Jersey.

Will this hit warrant a suspension or Not?

Check out this hit by Penguins Kris Letang on the Jets Alex Burmistrov during last night's game in Winnipeg. I don't think this boarding call is worthy of a suspension and I don't think the NHL needs to suspend every player that commits a questionable play/penalty.

Related articles

• Suspension coming for Penguins' Kris Letang? (aol.sportingnews.com)