The bulllpoop "finish your checks" mantra that we all grew up playing with is as much to blame for this junk as anything.

Useless hockey players fall back on it when they aren't good enough to do anything else.

Agree with RW's post 100% but I've quite frankly given up on this topic. Deep down inside, the league loves it, even condones it.

Cant blame the Flyers. Facing a team better than them, this was their only way to win the game.

If anything, the Pens PP could have put and end to this by scoring a frickin PP goal.

Also, I think the Flyers did the Pens a favor. GMJR was supposedly there and saw firsthand how this team crumbles, fails to respond to any adversity, and can, quite frankly, be bullied.

I'll keep saying this..until the Pens get heavier players WHO CAN PLAY (i.e. not goons), this will continue. Team is way too soft and has zero leadership.

Garbage officiating (reffing the score, anyone?) and the department of player "safety's" BS around the entire league is a good chunk of why Im watching barely any regular season and gone to no games this year.

Its not enjoyable. Its just frustating. This isnt even from a pens perspective. Ive lived in NY and FL this year so I dont even get pens games, but in the past id watch tons of panthers, rags and isles games and go to the games. If the outcome of every single game in the league is fans questioning penalty calls or wondering if someone will come back from their latest concussion thats not fun. Thats changing the dialogue of hockey to be less about the actual hockey played.

I honestly think the Del Zotto hit was just as bad.

Ryan Wilson: You Reap What You Sow NHL, NHLPA, and Department of Player Safety
You Reap What You Sow NHL, NHLPA, and Department of Player Safety
- Ryan_Wilson

Great read. Further, too, I think the current standard has a lot to do with why the bottom feeders in this league are so inept. Take the Buffalo Sabres for example. To me, it's no coincidence that the notion that players like John Scott and Patrick Kaleta are "necessary" are held by terrible teams. Not only is the notion that players like that are a deterrent a laughable myth, they're also liabilities on the ice.

I honestly think the Del Zotto hit was just as bad.
- usethe1-2-2

(frank)ing plug left his feet and went straight for the head. He honestly should have been kicked out of the game right away. It would've helped simmer down everything.

Is it just me or do the Flyers try to do this every time they play the Pens? 17-3 shots after one? Okay lets goon it up. They get everyone riled up and half our players try and play like them, and the other half look like scared with their head on a swivel. This is not our game or how we win. This isn't hockey. The refs need to get a control over games like this and start kicking players out.

Voracek is an absolutely gutless wussy. He gets wrecked with a beautifully clean hip check then goes and jumps Scuderi who has never been in a fight in his career. He is almost 40 for (frank)s sake. He also should have been kicked out.

Until the refs start calming things down, and the NHLPA starts actually punishing cavemen, expect this to happen. The NHL LOVES this stuff, you know why? It's exciting entertainment and that sells tickets and merch. Greedy bastards, I can't wait until an ex player or players file huge lawsuits on them just like the ex NFL players are doing more and more. It's a shame.

The best way to eliminate the problem isn't to take it out in the knees, it's to cut off it's head. By that I mean make the owners responsible instead of the players, that way team's will quit employing these bums and the problem will go away.

Obviously the suspensions need to be improved but since the NHLPA would never approve having it's players sit out the same length as the injured players, have the team owner compensate the injured player's salary for every game missed. Then at the end of the year, whatever amount of money a team had to pay out in injuries will be counted against their cap for the following season similar to how player bonuses work.

I'll use last night for example. He makes $88,414.63 per game. If he ends up missing 12 games, then the Flyers would have to pay $884,146.30 to the Penguins as a compensation. For next season, that number will count against the Flyers cap hit.

This system would punish the player who got suspended, the owner in his wallet, the GM for next year to have less of a cap to work with, any possible teammate that would be affected with less cap space, especially for a cap team like the Flyers, and the fans for possibly having a crappier team depending on the affected roster moves.

I honestly think the Del Zotto hit was just as bad.
- usethe1-2-2

Good call. I agree 100%.

If you read the comments by the Flyers players - they came for a blue & that's it. Result wasn't thought of it was fight & fight hard & fight for each other. So they wanted a fight basically!

They are such a proud bunch of blokes now.

I totally agree. Rinaldo is a stiff. I can docket the life of me understand why teams can't see that these types of players plain suck . With the huge talent pool that the nhl draws from...how can they not dress 4 lines that can actually play...the biggest problem the flyers have is Ed Snider...

Maybe you should read the links that he provided when he called for the suspensions of Neal and Bortuzzo.
- acdc1206

First of all the hit was illegal and Rinaldo will be punished. That being said there is a double standard when it comes to disciplining players in the NHL. It probably would not even be a topic if Letang had done that to Rinaldo....IMO. You only have to look at the Elbow delivered by Ovechkin on Leo Komarov this year. Komarov recieved a concussion and Ovechkin recieved nothing. If that would have been a guy like Matt Cooke, he would not have walked away free and clear.

i wouldve liked to see downie or sutter cross check rinaldo right in his face immideiatly after he hit letang...granted hindsight is impossible to read but we barely got any offensive chance son that whole 5 minute PP. I have been perfectly fine with downies play, but instead of getting your ass kicked and getting kicked out of the game just take it out on the player who just hurt our star D man...

I know its a team mentality and they got the PP and you dont want to ruin that but rinaldo and the flyers have just done this too much to us. send a message, with a cross check to the face

(frank)ing plug left his feet and went straight for the head. He honestly should have been kicked out of the game right away. It would've helped simmer down everything.

Is it just me or do the Flyers try to do this every time they play the Pens? 17-3 shots after one? Okay lets goon it up. They get everyone riled up and half our players try and play like them, and the other half look like scared with their head on a swivel. This is not our game or how we win. This isn't hockey. The refs need to get a control over games like this and start kicking players out.

Voracek is an absolutely gutless wussy. He gets wrecked with a beautifully clean hip check then goes and jumps Scuderi who has never been in a fight in his career. He is almost 40 for (frank)s sake. He also should have been kicked out.

Until the refs start calming things down, and the NHLPA starts actually punishing cavemen, expect this to happen. The NHL LOVES this stuff, you know why? It's exciting entertainment and that sells tickets and merch. Greedy bastards, I can't wait until an ex player or players file huge lawsuits on them just like the ex NFL players are doing more and more. It's a shame.
- znagle

Voracek whooped Scuderi boo whoo

The best way to eliminate the problem isn't to take it out in the knees, it's to cut off it's head. By that I mean make the owners responsible instead of the players, that way team's will quit employing these bums and the problem will go away.

Obviously the suspensions need to be improved but since the NHLPA would never approve having it's players sit out the same length as the injured players, have the team owner compensate the injured player's salary for every game missed. Then at the end of the year, whatever amount of money a team had to pay out in injuries will be counted against their cap for the following season similar to how player bonuses work.

I'll use last night for example. He makes $88,414.63 per game. If he ends up missing 12 games, then the Flyers would have to pay $884,146.30 to the Penguins as a compensation. For next season, that number will count against the Flyers cap hit.

This system would punish the player who got suspended, the owner in his wallet, the GM for next year to have less of a cap to work with, any possible teammate that would be affected with less cap space, especially for a cap team like the Flyers, and the fans for possibly having a crappier team depending on the affected roster moves.
- PaskySens

Has some logic to it - owners would never approve it.

Whether you like it or not if a GM is told (big if), that there is going to be some fireworks better not bring the cheese & kisses or the tin lids, I bet he wouldn't step in & say no. It's all about winning - did the Flyers win? If that Rinaldo grub shut his mouth after the game there probably wouldn't be such an uproar.

Grit & character = ?

I loved the game, found nothing wrong with the Rinaldo hit, besides it was a little late.

I wish every single game was like last nights game, a true joy to watch.

Voracek whooped Scuderi boo whoo

- RobFlyers#1

Haha yeah he did, that surprised the crap out of me.

Haha yeah he did, that surprised the crap out of me.
- nbartley9

I believe it surprised scudz too, he grabbed up vorachek barely had his gloves off and vorachuk was swinging away, I dont even know if we can call it a fight bc im not sure scuderi threw a single punch

First of all the hit was illegal and Rinaldo will be punished. That being said there is a double standard when it comes to disciplining players in the NHL. It probably would not even be a topic if Letang had done that to Rinaldo....IMO. You only have to look at the Elbow delivered by Ovechkin on Leo Komarov this year. Komarov recieved a concussion and Ovechkin recieved nothing. If that would have been a guy like Matt Cooke, he would not have walked away free and clear.
- RobFlyers#1

Exactly. No integrity. Penalties are only penalties sometimes.

Voracek whooped Scuderi boo whoo

- RobFlyers#1

It's not about who fought, I would have loved to see Bortz jump Giroux and pound him before he even has a chance to fight back.

Not to dismiss your article because it is all well written, but the whole topic can be summed up with these few words you included:

"The players are reactionary. They prevent NOTHING. "

I think the problem is that the NHL tries to get the suspension lengths to be "just right." If they started handing out suspensions that are deliberately overly long they might actually scare players away from reckless behavior.

Poor effing Letang, the guy has Markov type luck with injuries...

It's not about who fought, I would have loved to see Bortz jump Giroux and pound him before he even has a chance to fight back.
- znagle

and I 100% believe that should have happened...dissapointed that nobody went after him honestly

First of all i agree with the blog for the most part. The hit was late and high and no doubt deserves a suspension. With that being said some of these comments are ridiculous. Yes the flyers play a rough dirty style against the Penguins which all teams will probably start leaning towards as its obvious the penguins dont respond well to it. The game was chippy on both sides and your showing blatant bias if you disagree with that. And to say voracek should have been kicked out? Give me a break. He is the leagues leading scorer and got rocked, so instead of waiting for someone to stand up for him he stood up for himself. Its called sparking a team! When you have Wayne simmonds saying how motivating it was to see the leagues leading scorer stand up for himself and throw "uppercuts from hell", in my opinion job well done! Fighting has a place in the league its a tool and Voracek used it to perfection period.

I don't even have the energy to comment right now. Just sad that this continues to occur with no real, consistent punishment. Another player, let alone a great player, could be out because of a dangerous, disrespectful and downright dirty hit.

This isn't a Penguins issue, it is a league issue that impacts all players.
- Ryan_Wilson

you know what's funny? That the very same people commenting on this board could write that Brock Nelson dove when Steve Downie broke his stick in half crosschecking him in the back, could be outraged by a hit from behind.

Yes this is a league wide problem, but after reading "we need more of these players who will run around and hurt people" from more than one penguins fan it feels a little bit like karma.