Hunter: Bruins targeting Backstrom's head

One of the dirtiest hockey players to ever play in the NHL is accusing the Boston Bruins of going after Nicklas Backstrom. I guess the former goon Hunter would be able to spot this type of behavior on the sight?

In case you’ve forgotten, this is the same Dale Hunter that delivered one of the direst cheap shots I have ever witnessed to former Islander former Pierre Turgeon in Game 6 of the Patrick Division Semifinals. [Click to refresh memory]

Chuck Gormley, Capitals Whining --- Capitals coach Dale Hunter accused the Boston Bruins of intentionally targeting the head of Nicklas Backstrom and says his star center was only protecting himself when he cross-checked Rich Peverely in the chin at the conclusion of Game 3 Monday night.

Backstrom received a match penalty for the cross-check which carries an automatic suspension, pending a review by NHL director of player safety Brendan Shanahan. A ruling is expected to be released by the league on Wednesday.

“I don’t think he’s going to be suspended,” Hunter said. “If you slow it down frame by frame, where was [Peverley’s] stick? It was up in his face first … and Nicky reacted to it.

“I think [Backstrom] was trying to protect his face. If you watch it, [Peverley’s] stick is right in his eyes and it’s a dangerous play on their part, especially for [Backstrom] because if you notice, every scrum Nicky comes out with no helmet on. He gets a blocker to the head by [Tim] Thomas the game before [in Game 2]. He’s protecting his head. He just came off of 40 games.”

Chimera spears the Little Ball of Hate in the groin

Ouch! This is the reason that Brad Marchand was laying on the ice last night. Looks like the refs missed one here, that one couldn’t have felt very good. As you can see by the photo, Washinton Capitals forward Jason Chimera speared Brad Marchand in the groin/cup region with his stick during last night's game between the Boston Bruins and the Washington Capitals. That should have been a major penalty.

Of course no one is going to feel bad for the Little Ball of Hate Brad Marchand. I noticed that when the  Captials started to play physical  and rough against the Bruins, the Bruins kind of took the game over. Here is the link to the video in question [Click to view]

Joe McDonald, ESPN Boston --- One would have assumed the player waiting for Marchand was forward Jason Chimera. (In fact, we did in an earlier post.)

During a scrum in front of the Bruins’ net early in the third period, Chimera clearly struck Marchand in the groin area with his stick, sending Marchand to the ice in pain. He was attended to by team trainer Don DelNegro. Chimera was given a two-minute penalty for slashing.

But Marchand was approached by defenseman Karl Alzner, who caught Marchand with an elbow to the head during the game.

s/t Puck Daddy for the photo

Niklas Backstrom cross check on Peverley

The Washington Captials "could" be without one of their best players because of this unnecessary and dirty cross check by Niklas Backstrom on Boston Bruins forward Richard Peverley at the end of tonight's game. Backstrom received a match penalty at the end of the game tonight for this cross-check. It will be interesting to see what kind of supplemental discipline that Backstrom receives.  [Box Score]

Based on how erratic Brendan Shanahan has been in his ruling during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I would be surprised if Backstrom receives any punishment, mainly because of his star status. I predict that if there is any punishment it will be the maximum 2,500 dollar fine.

Having our cake and eating it too... Leave hockey alone

Logo for 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Here is a good example of the disconnect between the fans and the media. To quote Don Cherry, "Quite whining that this stuff hasn't been going on and it's not hockey, it's hockey the way it's played and if you don't like it take up tennis, Cherry added. I can see these guys playing tennis these reporters, that's sweet love in their little white shorts."

Bruce Arthur, National Post --- In fact, the playoffs were careering into dangerous places without him. All across the NHL waves of violence — both typical and excessive — have swept across the game. Elbows, fights, concussions, the most penalty minutes in at least five years and four suspensions (and counting, pending further decisions on Game 3 in the Penguins-Flyers series) in the first 17 games played. There were four suspensions in the entirety of the 2011 playoffs.

Here is the crux of the article, the players and the fans are enjoying this years Stanley Cup Playoff games, or they wouldn't watch the games. The players wouldn't play the games if they didn't enjoy the game of hockey.

Timonen was not talking about hurting people, though. Few will argue that animosity and emotion are not a reason why playoff hockey can be great. Ask most players, and their eyes shine when they talk about it.

“That’s the way hockey should be,” Brière said. “It’s intense. Players are passionate, coaches are passionate, fans are passionate. This is what it’s all about. You come to a game, you want to see passionate teams go at it. You don’t want a boring game, with nothing going on. I think people that paid a price to come watch a playoff game, that’s what they want to see. 

That being said, that doesn't mean I don't want the perpetrators punished that need to be punished but, the rough and tumble hockey is fun to watch. The other night L.A. Kings forward Dustin Brown hit Vancouver Canucks forward Daniel Sedin with a legal  hard check. Point blank, Brown steam rolled Sedin and it was an awesome hockey play that happens hundreds of times during the National Hockey League's 82 game season. Again, if you don't like it go watch baseball.

As we used to say, get off of the track if you don't want to get run over by the train.

True to form, the whining coming out of the Vancouver fan base is excessive.

Seriously, there are hockey fans out there that want those types of hits taken out of the game of hockey. Why? Maybe they don't understand the game of hockey. It's part of the game... So there are people that want to take out the fights and the scrums and the extra b.s. and then the hitting as well and you will be left with Ice Capades.

We live in a gladiator society and people want to see bone crushing body checks, scrums checks and an occasional fights, we don't want to see the game of hockey wussified. I don't know many people that want t to see this European brand of hockey that's played on Olympic sheets of ice where there is no hitting and little action.

That's not to say that Brendan Shanahan the Vice President of Player Safety hasn't dropped the ball in the playoffs, because he has. The one game suspension to Matt Carkner for attacking Brian Boyle was a head scratchier and it will be interesting to see the ruling from the NHL going forward but I think we have been fortunate to be highly entertained during the first week of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.


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Classic Don Cherry

Some good stuff here, by Don Cherry in the Coach's Corner.  I think he is right, it's the reporters and the pundits that are on the clean up the game of hockey band wagon, I like the playoffs this season, they have been very exciting and filled with drama. We have fans complaining about legal hits and begging suspensions and penalties when one isn't appropriate.

"You read in the papers about the reporters, that the things are going wrong in the National Hockey League, how bad they are," Don Cherry Said.

"Well first off all, the fans love it, go ahead and show it, the fans love it who pay the money. Now watch the crowd in the back ground, these guys pay the money. The players don't seem to mind it, the coaches don't seem to mind it, the players like it.

So who is that doesn't the fights and the banging around? It's the reporters that get in free and if they are going to start listening to these people they are nuts."

"This stuff has been going on in the playoffs for a long time," Cherry added. "I know a lot of you people don't realize it..."

"Quite whining that this stuff hasn't been going on and it's not hockey, it's hockey the way it's played and if you don't like it take up tennis, Cherry added. I can see these guys playing tennis these reporters, that's sweet love in their little white shorts."

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Sedin, "the hit was legal"

Calgary Herald Photo

There has been much discussion on the internet whether the Dustin Brown’s hit on Henrik Sedin was a legal hit or not. Sedin put that speculation to bed with his comments about the hit after last night's game.

Emotions boiled when Brown steamrolled Sedin with a shoulder hit in the Canucks captain's chest early in the second period, sending Sedin crawling to the bench and sparking a fight between Anze Kopitar and Alex Burrows. The hit wasn't penalized, and Sedin returned from a brief trip to the locker room.

Afterward, Sedin confirmed the hit was legal, and Brown spoke of his respect for Sedin. [Sports Illustrated]

Nice to see Henrik Sedin step up and recognized that the hit was a legal body check. Last time I checked, hockey is a physical sport and that body checks are part of the game.  The reaction of the Canucks after the hit was also predictable.

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Brock Nelson named Inside College Hockey All-American

University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux athletic logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Official Press Release

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota sophomore forward Brock Nelson has been named to Inside College Hockey’s 2011-12 All-America Third Team. Nelson enjoyed a breakout sophomore season in 2011-12, leading the Fighting Sioux in points (47) and goals (28) in 42 games and becoming the program’s youngest 20-goal scorer since Jonathan Toews scored 22 in 2005-06.

A native of Warroad, Minn., Nelson led the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) in goals and was the WCHA’s only player to score 20 goals during league play. He ranked third nationally in goals, tied for third in game-winning goals (6) and tied for sixth in power-play goals (10). His six GWG tied him for the 10th-best single-season total in school history.

Earlier this month, Nelson was also named to the All-College Hockey News Second Team, as well as the Red Baron WCHA Final Five and NCAA West Region All-Tournament teams. He helped guide the Sioux to their league-record third straight Broadmoor Trophy as WCHA Final Five champions, as well as the No. 1 seed in the NCAA West Regional. Following the season, Nelson signed with the New York Islanders and is currently playing for their American Hockey League affiliate in Bridgeport, Conn.

The 6-foot-4, 192-pound Nelson was a first-round draft pick of the Islanders in 2010, when he was selected 30th overall. Nelson finished his collegiate career with 36 goals and 32 assists for 68 points in 84 games.

Video of the Dustin Brown hit on Henrik Sedin

In my opinion this hit by L.A. Kings forward Dustin Brown on Vancouver Canucks forward Henrik Sedin is a clean shoulder to shoulder hit, maybe a second late, you will notice that CBC announcer Jim Huson and Craig Simpson didn't like the play and much to their chagrin, the refs didn't call a penalty on the play. The game immediately got chippy after this play.

There is an old saying in football, it's better to be the hammer than the nail. Just for the record, Sedin did go down the tunnel but he did return.

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.

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NHL has turtled in fight against head shots?

Daniel Alfredsson (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Check out this post, the author has a point. I am sure that we will see this subject discussed a lot in the next few weeks and probably into the summer.

ED WILLES, POSTMEDIA NEWS --- That's bad enough. But it seems there's been at least one vicious head shot in every frickin' game since the Weber incident: the Rangers' Carl Hagelin's hit on Daniel Alfredsson, Chris Phillips' hit on Ryan Callahan, the Sharks' T.J. Galiardi's hit on the Blues' Andy McDonald, the Blues' Vladimir Sobotka's sucker punch on the Sharks' Dominic Moore. And that's just for starters.
The resulting spit storm has been a nightmare for the NHL. This is the one time of the year when the focus of the North American sports media is on hockey but the focus isn't on the game. Instead, the spotlight is on a sport that appears to be almost criminally violent.

The league actually allowed itself to believe it was getting in front of the head-shot issue, but when given the chance to demonstrate just how seriously they're taking it, they turtled.

Datsyuk scores a pretty goal off of thievery...

In a day that was filled with thuggery and some good hockey fights, the Detroit Redwings star forward Pavel Datsyuk scored a really nice goal and displayed some thievery. The Detroit Redwings still lost the game to the Nashville Predators 3-2. Datsyuk has a goal and two assists in three playoff games for the Redwings.

Matt Carkner suspended on game.

Wow! If you're confused by this move by the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety, you're not alone. In fact I think the Department of Player Safety is becoming a bit of a joke, seriously! How the hell do they come up with some of these suspensions?

First: we have a player with little talent other than to fight other teams heavy weights, attacked another player on the ice, he then punches him while he lays on the ice in a vulnerable position? Where is the honor in that? That is a definite violation of the hockey code. Boyle isn't a turtle, he did end up fighting Senators goon Chris Neil later in the game. So how is that infraction only worthy of a one game suspension?

Then we have a Rangers player Carl Hagelin hit Senators forward Daniel Alfredson in the back of the head and he is suspended for three games. Who is weighing these incidents, is the Wheel of Justice back? What is going on here? The fans are confused. I think message here is that it's okay to hit a defenseless players seven times while they lay on the ice but it's not okay to hit someone from behind?

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Classic Hartnell tweet to Oshie and Kristo

Check out this twitter exchange between T.J. Oshie and Scott Hartnell, that's definitively funny in my book.

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Rangers' Hagelin suspended for three games

The NHL has suspended New York Rangers rookie winger Carl Hagelin for his hit on Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson. You got to give Hagelin credit he has since apologized for his hit on Alfredson.

"I sent him a text yesterday that said I'm sorry and I'm very regretful for what happened," Hagelin said after Sunday's practice.

It will be interesting to see how many games Matt Carkner gets for his act of stupidity.  

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Shanny has his work cut out for him part II

Arron Asham should be gone for the rest of the NHL playoffs for this cross check and then punch on Brayden Schenn. There was nothing wrong with Schenn's hit on Paul Martin, yet Asham attacks Schenn. If you don't like the way that Schenn hit your fellow teammate challenge him to a fight the old fashion way.

I think that the NHL will not look too kindly on this play by Asham; this will also give Brendan Shanahan a chance to make a statement because Asham is a goon and suspending him won't really affect the series that much. 


Penguins forward James Neal should have been thrown out of the game for this questionable blindside on Sean Couturier. The refs really blew this call and their inaction probably lead to this chain of events. That's right pulling of hair by Craig Adams, how very Vancouver Canucks like, Alex Burrows and Max Lapierre would probably approve of this act.

It will be interesting to see what comes out of the NHL's Department of Player Safety, this was a very emotional and hard fought game and I could see a few fines and probably a suspension or two for some of the offending players.  Loved the drama and the extra drama that came out of this game today.

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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.

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Oshie shows off his offensive moves

Wow! This was one of "the" highlights from last night play in the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs. Check out the unbelievable moves by former Fighting Sioux forwawd T.J. Oshie as he assisted on a goal by former MSU Maverick David Backes. The Blues beat the Sharks 3-0 to even their series 1-1.

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Andrew Shaw ejected for decleating Coyotes goalie Mike Smith

The Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw was ejected from last night's game for hitting Coyotes goalie Mike Smith. Depending on what angle you watch this collision from, it does appear that Shaw caught Smith with an elbow in the head. I think that Shaw could have avoided this collision and this was an unnecessary hit on the goalie who was playing the puck.

It also appears that Smith might have embellished this hit a bit and some have suggest that Smith should get a n Oscar for his efforts. I was watching the game with my buddy last night and I suggested this to him. Kind of reminds me of another goalie that tended to embellish a bit on the ice every time someone tapped him.

There are other hockey fans that have advocated that the goalie should be fair game if he steps outside of his crease.  I think the best way to start a brawl is to run the other teams goalie.

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Does Brent Burns get the Shanahammer

Former Wild defenseman Brent Burns threw this elbow to the back of the head area of Blues forward Scott Nichol. Now the Vice President of Players Safety, Brendan Shanahan has a decision to make, does he suspend Burns who does have received supplemental discipline when he was suspended in November of 2010. Should Burns be suspended for this hit or does Shanny let this one slide?

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Is Justin Schultz coming back to Wisconsin for a fourth season?

Badgers Herald.com

Here is some interesting speculation by the New York Post's Larry Brooks. As a hockey fan, I would actually love the opportunity to watch another season of Justin Schultz who was hands down the best defenseman in the WCHA, if not the country last season and in my opinion, should have been in the Hobey Hat Trick. For some reason the voters left him out of the mix.

Larry Brooks, New York Post --- Ryan McDonagh told Slap Shots he spoke a couple of weeks ago to one-time Wisconsin teammate Justin Schultz, the junior defenseman selected 43rd overall by the Ducks in 2008 who can become an unrestricted free agent this summer if he so chooses.

“But he was smart enough not to tip his hand to me,” said McDonagh, who raved about the 21-year-old’s skating ability and skill, likening Schultz to Toronto’s Jake Gardiner.

Schultz cannot be signed until July 1, but he can become a free agent and start the negotiating process by mid-June — it’s the Blake Wheeler model — after giving notice to Anaheim.

There has been some speculation the defenseman might opt to return to the Badgers for his senior season because of the possibility of a lockout that would necessarily mean a start to his pro career in the AHL, but it’s expected he will indeed hit the open market after deciding not to sign with the Ducks last month, when doing so would have burned the first year of his Entry Level Contract.

Edit: I guess we can always dream right, Badgers guru Chuck Schwartz assures me that Schultz is not coming back and that he will might pursue the Blake Wheeler option.  

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