Saturday Night Hockey: Buffalo Suspensions, Toronto Maple Saps

Buffalo Wild Wings Things

Just as went through suspensions last week, there are more to deal with. I might have to have a "Suspension of the Week" feature if it continues. Just like last week, there was a Sabre that is on the giving end of a head hit. To the video:

Yes, everyone's favour punching bag, John Scott, was the deliverer of the hit. It was a bad hit, as Scott chicken (albatross might be more accurate) winged Loui Eriksson, resulting in a concussion for the Bruins player. I'm not denying that Scott should be suspended. It was a hit to someone's head, there he should sit for a couple games. I do have issue with the outrage over this.

Almost every hockey team operates like this:

• Top two lines are filled with the most skilled guys
• Third line is mostly blue collar, with some skill
• Fourth line is everybody else

Players usually have a specific role on a team, and based on their skill level are placed were that role and skill are most beneficial to the team. In Scott's case, he's a big guy (6-foot-8!) that can fight and intimidate the opposition. Since he does not have much skill, he'll be that fourth line guy that is in the lineup half the time. He'll be someone who will play (at most) 6-7 minutes a game and deliver a few hits. Any offensive output is gravy.

The outrage from the hit is exponentially greater since he had a previous incident (in a loose sense) in the preseason when he attempted to grab Phil Kessel. There are many people in that incident that can take blame for it. Scott's only blame is that he felt the need to stand up for a teammate that was injured the previous shift. It just happened to be Kessel of all Leafs players that was lined up across from him.

My point is ultimately this: This should be like any other suspension. John Scott should just be another guy earning a 5 game suspension just like every other player. But because of the role he fills and the Toronto incident, he is treated like the most monstrous thing the NHL has ever seen despite having a clean record (under the CBA). It is a joke how the NHL is handling this. Scott's hearing isn't until Hallowe'en. By that time, he would have missed three games since hitting Eriksson plus a fourth that night.

We saw last week Michael Grabner get suspended for only two games for close to the same thing. It wasn't a clear sticking out of the elbow, but it was still a guy with no rap sheet mistiming a hit and got all head. Is anyone wanting to kick Grabner out of the game for that? I'm guessing no.

In the end this will be the perpetual cycle of NHL suspensions. A guy filling top minutes will only miss a few games while the guys scraping by will feel the heft of the Shanahammer. One thing is for sure though, the minute a guy like Crosby or Ovechkin or Stamkos picks a guy's head, any suspension would be a miracle.

I went through the Kaleta suspension last week, and news of his suspension being upheld by Commissioner Bettman was released Thursday. It will be interesting if they now go to an arbitrator to try and get it reduced.

Poor Poor Toronto

As a Habs fan I should feel pure hate for anything Toronto. But since A) my dad is a Leafs fan, and B) I like other Toronto teams (Blue Jays and Raptors*), I do feel for Toronto sometimes. It was bad enough that the Jays decided to erect a statue of Ted Rogers outside the Skydome.** Ted Rogers, a guy who was in no way involved in the Jays two World Series wins and devalued the Skydome so he could by it for pennies on the dollar.

Not to be outdone, Rogers (with the help of Bell) has decided to try and one-up itself by raising a banner in the ACC to Bon Jovi. Bon. Freakin. Jovi. The closest thing he has in common to Rogers is that they both own(ed) a hockey team.*** I understand wanting to celebrate him, and I understand it's an arena event and not sports-related, but a banner is still overkill. Have a wall dedicated to him or something else. Banner just feels wrong.

Side note: If it has to be a banner, is Bon Jovi really the first band you're honouring? Not Rush or The Tragically Hip or any other Canadian band? Stupid Rogers (and Bell)

*Teams only liked since the Expos and Grizzlies moved (THANKS! MLB and NBA)
**I know what it's called, doesn't mean I have to acknowledge the current name. See below for another example.
***I've seen Pucked, that time spent will never come back.
***I also tried to avoid the obvious "Living on a Prayer" reference

Lineup Notables

Edmonton Oilers vs. Phoenix Coyotes

Junior Team: Taylor Hall (knee), Ryan Smyth (groin), Sam Gagner (jaw), Jesse Joensuu (back), Ryan Hamilton (knee), and Steve MacIntyre (knee) are all out. Jason LaBarbera is in net.
Phoenix: Lauri Korpikoski is out. Mike "Diver" Smith starts this afternoon.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Pittsburgh: James Neal (upper body), Beau Bennett (lower body), and Tomas Vokoun (blood clot) are out. Marc-Andre Fleury will start.
Wendel Clarkson: James Reimer might start.

San Jose Sharks vs. Montreal Canadiens

San Jose: Martin Havlat (groin), Raffi Torres (knee), Adam Burish (lower body), and Dan Boyle (neck) are out while Brent Burns (mouth) and Tommy Wingels are questionable. Antti Niemi gets the start.
Montreal: Max Pacioretty (hamstring), Daniel Briere (concussion), Brandon Prust (shoulder), George Parros (concussion), Alexei Emelin (knee), Douglas Murray (upper body), and Davis Drewiske (shoulder) are out. Carey Price starts.

Winnipeg Jets vs. Dallas Stars

Atlanta: Chris Thorburn (lower body) and Jacob Trouba (upper body) are out while Jim Slater is questionable. Ondrej Pavelec will probably start.
Dallas: Ryan Garbutt is suspended. Kari Lehtonen is in net.

Washington Capitals vs. Calgary Flames

Washington: Jack Hillen (leg) is out. Brayden Holtby is expected to start.
Calgary: Mark Giordano (lower body) is questionable. Karri Ramo might start.

Saturday Night Hockey: Suspension City

NHL Suspensions

Patrick Kaleta - 10 Game Suspension

Kaleta did something dirty? Why I never...

Yes, once again Kaleta gets suspended for a dirty hit. This time, it was against Columbus' Jack Johnson. In Kaleta's defense (the only time I hope to ever say that), he does keep his line and Johnson did pull up before entering it. But in the end, he did hit Johnson's head, and that's not a good thing. Thankfully Johnson didn't get hurt on the play. The 10 games is more of a reputation suspension for Kaleta, and that's fair (maybe a little too fair). Probably a shining light at the end of this grim tunnel for Kaleta is that Matt Cooke is willing to talk to him. Cooke has been relatively clean since his run of cheap shots, so who better to calm down Cooke 2.0. This (again) hopefully will be the one that gets Kaleta to tone it down a notch. If not, he may be looking at a record suspension-length next time.

Maxim Lapierre - 5 Game Suspension

Lapierre did something dirty? Why I (ok, enough)

Lapierre, while not as bad as Kaleta, does have a reputation. The amazing thing about this is Lapierre continues with the hit and does the "what did I do?" gesture soon after. This was definitely a hit that could have been minimalized if not avoidable, but Lapierre just drives himself into the hit. Boyle being off-balance adds to the damage. Outside of not being classified as a "repeat offender" by the CBA, there isn't any plausible defense for this suspension. 5 games sounds about right.

KHL Suspension

"I'm Brendan Shanahanov of the KHL Department of Player Safety. In Thursday's game, Kazan defender Grigory Panin delivered an illegal check to the head of Bears forward Matt Murley. As the video shows, Murley tries to draw a penalty against Panin. As Murley slides into the boards, Panin delivers a vicious hit to the head. It is important to note that during the play, Panin ignores the puck after the initial infraction, and continues on with his hit. Panin was suspended earlier this season for checking from behind. To summarize, Panin delivered an illegal check to the head. Murley was injured on the play and did not return to the game. This is Panin's second offense this season. The KHL Department of Players Safety has decided to suspend Grigory Panin for 11 games."

Side note: As a Bears fan, #banPanin

Lineup Notables

Vancouver Canucks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

Vancouver: Alexandre Burrows (foot) and Nicklas Jensen (upper body),are out. Roberto Luongo will start.
Pittsburgh: James Neal (upper body), Beau Bennett (lower body), and Tomas Vokoun (blood clot) are out. Matt D'Agostini (lower body) and Kris Letang (knee) are questionable. Marc-Andre Fleury starts this afternoon.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Ottawa Senators

Edmonton: Sam Gagner (jaw) is out. Jesse Joensuu (back), Ryan Hamilton (knee), Steve MacIntyre (knee), and Corey Potter (back) are all questionable. Devan Dubnyk might start.
Ottawa: Healthy Ottawa? Again? I'm scared. Robin Lehner gets the start.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Nashville Predators

Montreal: Max Pacioretty (hamstring), George Parros (concussion), Alexei Emelin (knee), Douglas Murray (upper body), and Davis Drewiske (shoulder) are out. Carey Price will be in net.
Nashville: Roman Josi (concussion) and Rich Clune (personal) are questionable. Pekke Renne is expected to start.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Toronto: Nikolai Kulemin (ankle), Frasier McLaren (broken finger), and Mark Fraser (knee) are out. James van Riemsdyk (back) is questionable. David Clarkson is suspended. Jonathan "Own Goal" Bernier might start.
Chicago: No injuries to report. Corey Crawford is in net.

Calgary Flames vs. San Jose Sharks

Calgary: Mike Cammellari (hand), Matt Stajan (leg), and David Jones (upper body) are out. and Karri Ramo starts tonight.
Joe Thornton's Rooster: Martin Havlat (groin), Raffi Torres (knee), and Adam Burish (lower body) are out. Dan Boyle (neck) is questionable. Antti Niemi gets the start.

Saturday Night Hockey: Flyers Coach Change, Sharks Talk

Flyers Fire Peter Laviolette, Name Craig Berube Coach

After losing their first three games of the season, the Philadelphia Flyers have fired Laviolette and replaced him with Berube. While this seems to be the Flyers attempt to shake things up (1-1 since), this still seems like a temporary fix. Their offense and defense are good enough for them to be contenders, but for years the Flyers have yet to find the goalie that would push them into that status. Including their run in 2010, it's been a constant turnover in net. Bryzgalov has been the longest-serving starter since then and he lasted a season and a half (lockout for the half). This organization's ineptitude in net is impressive. The last time they drafted and developed a goalie was Antero Niittymaki, and even then he was destined to be a backup (maybe platoon at best). Hitching their wagon in a hope-he-turns-it-around Steve Mason and the now-a-god-backup in Ray Emery won't be enough for this franchise to do anything in the playoffs, if they even make it. Most of their core (Giroux, Simmonds, the Schenns, Voracek) are still young enough were a rebuild isn't necessary, but a serious retooling of the roster is needed if they don't want this window to stay just barely open.

Side note: with the track record of Berube (3000+ PIMS), that first meeting against Colorado should create the next big East-West rivalry.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Hertl

Tomas Hertl has been on fire, leading the league with 6 goals so far in the season. But his masterpiece this season (so far) has been this goal against the Rangers:

Credit to him for being able to do that. The between-the-legs goal has been worn out a bit, but it's nice to see it being done at a high speed during a game rather than in a shootout. I can see why some people might be upset over it, but in the end A) he's a rookie trying to have fun and B) probably best that he pulled that move in a blowout game. If the game had been tied or a one-goal difference then yeah it may not have been the best time to try it. Adam Oates got after him, and while people got after Oates for decrying the move I'm not surprised. Oates has been against showing any personality.

He's Called "Jumbo Joe" for a Reason

Probably the best thing (no pun intended) to come out of Hertl Night was the comment of San Jose Captain and future Swiss Superstar^ Joe Thornton. From The Province:

Hearing a question to Marleau about Hertl and whether he was showboating, Thornton said:
“Shut up, have you ever played the game?”
When the press turned his way, he then added:
“I’d have my cock out if I scored four goals. I’d have my cock out, stroking it.”

*Orders Thornton Jersey*. The question of ethics has come up over how on the record the quote was. For their part, San Jose and Thornton himself have done a good job in damage control (whatever-little was needed).

^You laugh, but he'll be captain of the Swiss team in PyeongChang 2018

Lineup Notables

Edmonton Oilers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

The Coach Leafs Fans Want: Sam Gagner (jaw), Jesse Joensuu (back), Steve MacIntyre (knee), Corey Potter (back), and Denis Grebeshkov (groin) are out. Devan Dubnyk might start.
The Coach Leafs Fans Have: Nikolai Kulemin (ankle), Frasier McLaren (broken finger), and Mark Fraser (knee) are out. David Clarkson is suspended. Jonathan Bernier is expected to start.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Vancouver Canucks

Canada Olympic Goalie Candidate #2: Brian Gionta (personal), George Parros (concussion), Alexei Emelin (knee), Douglas Murray (upper body), and Davis Drewiske (shoulder) are out. Carey Price is in net.
Canada Olympic Goalie Candidate #1: Alexandre Burrows (foot), Nicklas Jensen (upper body), and Jordan Schroeder (foot) are out. Zack Kassian and Alexander Edler are suspended. Roberto Loungo will start.

Ottawa Senators vs. San Jose Sharks

Ottawa: Jason Spezza (non-back) is questionable. Craig Anderson starts tonight.
San Jose: Martin Havlat (groin), Raffi Torres (knee), and Adam Burish (lower body) are out. Brad Stuart is suspended. Antti Niemi is in net.

Saturday Night Hockey: Fighting About Fighting

The Fighting Debate

 

First, the disclaimer: I like fighting. Staged fights, heat-of-the-moment fights, try-to-spark-the-team fights, etc. A fight is a fight is a fight. Could my mind change later in the future? Sure, but for now it's firmly on the pro-fighting crowd side.

I tried. I really tried to stay out of this debate, but since it's basically hit the boiling point once again after the Orr-Parros incident Tuesday night, I guess I should enter the debate. What bugs me most about this incident being the focal point is that Parros' injury was accident. Orr slipped and dragged Parros down with him, as a result Parros hit his chin on the ice and suffered a concussion. If Parros had been injured the conventional way during a fight (you know, getting punched) then I can see the outrage against fighting.

No to say the anti-fighting crowd doesn't have valid points. There are good arguments against fighting. In this post I've picked out a few.

The Code is Pointless

This one I'll agree with the non-fighting crowd. I like the notion of unwritten rules since it can add to the overall game experience, but there is too many problems with this. It's hard to police the game from a pest that's a half-foot shorter and 60 pounds lighter when it's apparently taboo to fight outside of your weight class. The instigator does well enough protecting pest, especially since it isn't properly enforced (that's a discussion for another time). 

It's a Matter of Player Safety

It's easy to cite the players poll that says 98% don't want fighting out of the game, and at the end of the day the players are the ones that are playing. I'm going to try a different approach.

In the movie Rush (quick aside, go see it, even if you aren't an F1 fan it is still a great movie) during the drivers meeting Niki Lauda bought up the point that he is willing to drive as long as the risk of him dying is 20% and not 1% more. This could translate to hockey, were the 20% would stand for the chance of getting injured (you can argue the percentage but for simplicity sake lets keep it at 20). So every time a player steps onto the ice there is a 20% chance of him getting injured, no matter the event.

Currently I'm unaware of any breakdown of how players get concussions, so the following is based on an assumption. Players probably suffer concussions more from hits (open-ice and along the boards) than fighting, yet the argument is only for fighting. If those people who want the game to be as safe as possible, why is the argument only about fighting and not the bigger picture? 

No Momentum is Gained in Fighting

Yes and no. Justin Bourne said it best over on the Backhand Shelf blog: 

...I would say the only time I really ever felt anything that changed my energy level was when a guy who doesn’t fight much got into it. That’s sort of inspiring. I do think going when your team is lifeless and losing that a fight can act as a bit of a defibrillator – any pulse here? It might not work – the team may already be cold on the metal gurney – but it’s worth a shot...

Of course not every fight (win or lose) is going to spark a team just like every shot isn't going to result in a goal. Obviously the most famous example of the momentum narrative is the Talbot-Carcillo fight during the 2010 playoffs. Momentum after fights are basically determined on a case-by-case basis.

As an aside, I think the whole momentum thing has to be observed by eyes and not stats. It just seems like one of those things that cannot be properly measured by numbers. 

No Fighting in the Playoffs and Olympics

On the playoff front, did no one watch Leafs-Bruins last year? There was a fight in each of the first two games, and multiple off-setting roughing minors throughout the series. I will agree that there is less fighting in the playoffs because there are less games and teams are going to dress more offensively-skilled players.

As for the Olympics, it's the wrong international tournament to compare. Unlike the playoffs, it only happens in four-year cycles and I doubt many people in North America would care if the tournament was void of NHL players. The fair comparison from an international sense would be the World Championship since it's a yearly event that constantly features NHL players and (for 2014 at least) will feature the higher percentage of better countries involved (Olympics have 10/12 of top-ranked teams compared to 15/16 for the World Championship). The World Championship is, sadly, overshadowed by the playoffs. Which, as I just pointed out, does have fighting. 

Eject Players for Fighting

Dumb idea. It'll be the players equivalent of fans leaving early to beat the traffic. It could also encourage enforcers to attack star players more as a tactic. If John Scott and Phil Kessel had fought, what team would suffer more? Now imagine that fight taking place at the start of a game. I'm sure the Sabres can survive without John “Hasn't Scored 10 Points Since Junior” Scott.

It's Part of the Game

This is a pro-fighting crowd argument, and yes there are some flaws. The biggest one is that just because it is a part of the games doesn't mean it should be. But much like the trap or the Boston Bruins, there is only so much that can be done to eliminate something without radically changing the game.

A Few More Comments

As much as it may pain me to admit it, fighting is getting phased out. It's a slow phasing but it's happening. The pro-fighting crowd should admit this just like the anti-fighting crowd should admit that fighting is going to take a while to go and not be banned tomorrow.

I might be getting the wrong impression but it seems like a bit of the anti-fighting stuff is only aimed at certain players (the Orr's and Scott's). Yes, fighting would decrease without them, but it'll still be around. If it’s just a role that should be eliminated, then I can think of a few roles that have a more direct impact to the objective of the game (scoring goals) that could be eliminated.

One thing we can all agree on: there are hockey games tonight. Enjoy!

Lineup Notables

Ottawa Senators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

Ottawa: The Sens are healthy *waits for Spezza injury*. Craig Anderson is in net.
Toronto: Frasier McLaren (broken finger) and Mark Fraser (knee) are out. David Clarkson is suspended. James Reimer starts.

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Montreal Canadiens

Philadelphia: Chris “Yes, I'm Still on the Roster” Pronger (concussion) is out. Ray Emery will start.
Montreal: George Parros (concussion), Alexei Emelin (knee), Douglas Murray (upper body), and Davis Drewiske (shoulder) are out. Carey Price is in net.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Vancouver Canucks

Edmonton: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (shoulder), Sam Gagner (jaw), Steve MacIntyre (knee), Corey Potter (back), and Denis Grebeshkov (groin) are out. Devan Dubnyk starts tonight.
Vancouver: Nicklas Jensen (upper body) and Jordan Schroeder (foot) are out. Zack Kassian is suspended. Roberto Loungo will start.

NHL Regular Season Predictions

The NHL starts tonight (wait, we don't have to wait until January?) with the classical Leafs-Habs rivalry, the defending champs Blackhawks hosting the Capitals, and Jets-Oilers in the late game. Until then, we have predictions to put out.

Eastern Conference

Brad

Atlantic Division	Metropolitan Division
Boston Bruins*	Pittsburgh Penguins*
Detroit Red Wings*	New York Rangers*
Ottawa Senators*	Washington Capitals*
Montreal Canadiens*	New York Islanders*
Tampa Bay Lightning	Carolina Hurricanes
Toronto Maple Leafs	Philadelphia Flyers
Florida Panthers	Columbus Blue Jackets
Buffalo Sabres	New Jersey Devils

MDK

Atlantic Division	Metropolitan Division
Boston Bruins*	Pittsburgh Penguins*
Detroit Red Wings*	New York Rangers*
Tampa Bay Lightning*	Philadelphia Flyers*
Montreal Canadiens*	New Jersey Devils
Toronto Maple Leafs*	Washington Capitals
Buffalo Sabres	New York Islanders
Ottawa Senators	Carolina Hurricanes
Florida Panthers	Columbus Blue Jackets

Western Conference

Brad

Central Division	Pacific Division
Chicago Blackhawks*	Vancouver Canucks*
St. Louis Blues*	Los Angeles Kings*
Nashville Predators*	San Jose Sharks*
Minnesota Wild*	Anaheim Ducks*
Dallas Stars	Edmonton Oilers
Colorado Avalanche	Phoenix Coyotes
Atlanta Thrashers Winnipeg Jets	Calgary Flames

MDK

Central Division	Pacific Division
Chicago Blackhawks*	Vancouver Canucks*
Colorado Avalanche*	San Jose Sharks*
Minnesota Wild*	Los Angeles Kings*
Nashville Predators*	Anaheim Ducks*
Winnipeg Jets	Calgary Flames
Dallas Stars	Phoenix Coyotes
St. Louis Blues	Edmonton Oilers

(* denotes playoff team)

One More Thing

This will probably be a yearly rant, but every time the NHL season starts there are chants of "Hockey back! Hockey's back!". Hockey isn't back. Hockey never left. The NHL is back. If the NHL season means that "hockey's back", then I'd like to know what players play when they get sent down to the minors or back to junior. What do they play if their only options is a league in Europe? AHL, CHL, KHL, SHL, SM-liiga, and many more ?HL's all play hockey. Just say the NHL is back.

Happy NHL Opening Day everyone.