Most people don't have a problem with the hit. I don't think it was a bad hit, other than being a bit late. The problem is the league double standard. A no name or middling player like Bortuzzo is suspended 2 games for the same type of incident. Because it was a legend that he hit. The DOPS explanation was that the hit was interference as the puck had been moved by Jagr. THe same thing applies here, the puck was long gone from Letangs stick by the standard the league was using with the Jagr hit. It was on the other side of the red line. When Jagr was hit, the puck was not even out of the zone. Again I have no problem with either hit, other than to wonder why one is suspension worthy and one is not.

Now getting your wrists slashed on faceoffs, that could seriously effect your ability to grab another mans buttocks and is surely suspension worthy.
- PittsPens

So, then, you have a problem with the hit.

So, then, you have a problem with the hit.
- 87_71_11_29

Hey now. This is my story and I will tell it like I want to

Boo-ya...

WWE prob gets better rating I'd imagine.

The league is a joke. Has been since I watched it as a kid in the early 80's. Unfortunately for me, I love hockey so I watch anyway.

Like I've said many times before, if Letang's Union does nothing to protect him, nor Sid's, nor JT Miller's, let them all kill each other. Cross-check a dude in the neck violently? 4 games. Absolute joke.
- 87_71_11_29

Completely agree. They take a retroactive approach. Because Millar wasn't hurt 4 games, if Millar is wheelchair bound for life... then maybe 10 games. They need to punish as though the worst case occurred to make these barbarians understand the gravitas of there actions.

Is that a bad thing? Personally , I love it in the playoffs when the refs put the whistles away and let the boys play hard hitting hockey. On the othewr hand, if they called every infraction in a game we would have a whistle every 20 seconds....(frank) that.

I miss the good ol'days of tough NHL hockey when the players were responsible for protecting themselves.Instead of more rules enforced by the officials they should scrap the instigator rule and watch dangerous and reckless hits go down leaguewide.

Pens fans need to also quit their crying about this hit......it was a beauty.
- Jeropotato

Agree with the 'flow of the game' should exist but my point was more that they choose which team & when which is in itself scandalous (break out all the trolls - a Pens fan saying a hit was now scandalous ). You don't need whistles blown every 2 minutes but you don't want guys spending days & nights with headaches & migraines (headaches are ok if it's because you hammered yourself just not getting hammered by someone else). Plenty of players get the hits that Doan gave out some penalised some not but most don't get a player put in hospital. You shouldn't be able to check a defenceless guy into the boards if he's not upright & able to defend himself - who was that Bolts player that got hit by Abdakakerkkkker?? Similar thing player not in a position to protect himself gets put into the boards & injured!

Edit: that hit was apparently OK because he lost the physical battle - I wonder if the same applies to Tanger?

How's the travel? Speaking any foreign language yet besides American?

It's a clean hit people. My god because it's a pens player he can't be touched? Or if he gets hurt its gotta be a dirty hit? He was pushed and if letang didn't bail out like a female dog which put him off balance he wouldn't have been knocked off his skates. Enough already!!!!now the rinaldo hit is a legit reason to be pissed. This is not.
- jmdodgeser4

Wow dodger, you guys prepared yourselves for war & jumped a player that hadn't had a fight in 1m NHL games because Bobby Farnham got dressed to play. Your rights of explanations & excuses are regained in 2116 AD. So go farkkkkkkkkin have a nice day!

Do you believe Robert Bortuzzo should have been suspended for hittng Jagr earlier in the year? There was no hit to the head, the hit may have been slightly late, Jagr missed a period and a half as a result of it. It is the same type of play with the only difference being, Bortz delivered a beautiful body check instead of shoving a vulnerable player into the boards.
- PittsPens

No, and I stated that just two posts after the one you quoted. Majority of the time that Bortuzzo hit is called interference with no supplemental discipline.

Wow dodger, you guys prepared yourselves for war & jumped a player that hadn't had a fight in 1m NHL games because Bobby Farnham got dressed to play. Your rights of explanations & excuses are regained in 2116 AD. So go farkkkkkkkkin have a nice day!
- Aussiepenguin

The flyers never prepare for war. They don't have heavy weights. In fact this team under Berube has had its nutts cut off. I can't even try to explain it. They are almost dead last in pims in the league. I can't even type that without checking the stats 15 more times to make sure it was right. The flyers in my opinion are push overs right now. Teams get physical they wilter right now. This is the only reason we need rinaldo in the line up . If it wasn't for him we wouldn't have any hitters up front. Simmonds isn't a consistent hard hitter. The pens for whatever reason cannot beat the flyers. It's like the flyers vs panthers and Tampa even when they both sucked!!

Its a fair hit on a dangerous part of the ice. Players need to be aware and respectful of the 3-5 ft off the boards hits. Coaches preach finish your checks, thats what Doan was doing. In the playoffs we'll see even more of it. Could he of not made the check without the play being affected, yes, but if he goes back to the bench the coach can ask, "what didn't you finish your check on Letang?" Was it necessary, no, but it doesn't have to be. Its about wearing down the top guys with hit after hit after hit. Its unfortunate, believe me, I'm a Pens fan. But I don't think anyone is to blame.
- brienstel

The problem is that because Doan is such a nice guy he came out & admitted he wanted to stop Letang getting around him ie. interfering with him any way he could to slow him down. He wasn't 'finishing his check', he wanted to stop him - different things in my book with different intentions.

Are you allowed to push someone over as a check? Serious question. I thought you could only use your body (not your arms by extension)??

I said after the hit here that if it's not going to get penalised every Pens player should be doing the same - why not? The thing is that Tanger has been concussed because of it & isn't that what the fuss about fighting is all about?

Some numb nut in the NHL came out & said "he lost the physical battle" about a Bolts player getting slammed. Well done champ, now that player is out for probably the rest of the season because of a hit that was late & unnecessary.

So on 1 hand concussions are ok if it's a 'hockey' concussion, but if it's fighting & no injury it's not ok. Isn't fighting in the rules? Late checks aren't are they? Hmmmmm

Edit: Garrison was the player hit & injured.

Never mind the lateness, it's (frank)ing charging, and it is and has always been illegal.

Officials seem to have forgotten to call it in the new speed game, and the league doesn't seem to be taking it seriously in terms of discipline, when realistically it is a lot more dangerous to charge a guy full speed and throw him into the boards from 5 feet out than it is to hit guys from behind, which we make a great big scene out of.

He followed him until after the puck was long gone, made no attempt to slow down, and threw the unsuspecting player headfirst into the boards.
- TommyDeVito

You mean charging is still in the rule book? And I thought that neanderthal dinosaur Colin Campbell had taken out his eraser and rubbed it out of the book or told the referees to ignore that section.

Blame whoever you want - the NHL, coaches, the equipment manufacturers who outfit hockey players in football gear or the players who don't respect their fellow players - the infractions exist in the rule book and always have. They need to be called every night.

Doan was way late with the hit, its a penalty whether or not Letang was hurt.

Pens will dominate today; just a hunch.

Clb on 8 game win streak cmon boys !!!

Completely agree. They take a retroactive approach. Because Millar wasn't hurt 4 games, if Millar is wheelchair bound for life... then maybe 10 games. They need to punish as though the worst case occurred to make these barbarians understand the gravitas of there actions.
- brienstel

I would've given him 15 games for that.
Is it just me or the more lean our players get the more often they get injured? Look back at some of the old players with a little bit of fat on them, they got hurt a lot less.

Agree with the 'flow of the game' should exist but my point was more that they choose which team & when which is in itself scandalous (break out all the trolls - a Pens fan saying a hit was now scandalous ). You don't need whistles blown every 2 minutes but you don't want guys spending days & nights with headaches & migraines (headaches are ok if it's because you hammered yourself just not getting hammered by someone else). Plenty of players get the hits that Doan gave out some penalised some not but most don't get a player put in hospital. You shouldn't be able to check a defenceless guy into the boards if he's not upright & able to defend himself - who was that Bolts player that got hit by Abdakakerkkkker?? Similar thing player not in a position to protect himself gets put into the boards & injured!

Edit: that hit was apparently OK because he lost the physical battle - I wonder if the same applies to Tanger?

How's the travel? Speaking any foreign language yet besides American?
- Aussiepenguin

(frank) no.....and I dont speak 'murican.....going well...HOT AS (frank) though...

I think that should have been called boarding...

Boarding – A boarding penalty shall be imposed on any player who
checks or pushes a defenseless opponent in such a manner that
causes the opponent to hit or impact the boards violently or
dangerously. The severity of the penalty, based upon the impact with
the boards, shall be at the discretion of the Referee.

that's just a good old time hard nosed hockey hit from a good old canadian hockey boy, man up let's go

Pens will dominate today; just a hunch.

Clb on 8 game win streak cmon boys !!!
- Lucas Neilson

I've been saying the pens were due to put up 5 or 6 goals the past 4 games. I have discontinued said prediction.

I love Penguin fans talking about how "unnecessary" hits can be now that Matt Cooke is off their team. As Marc Savard still eats with a straw...

so unnecessary

I love Penguin fans talking about how "unnecessary" hits can be now that Matt Cooke is off their team. As Marc Savard still eats with a straw...
- jimbro83

This is an ignorant comment. A lot of assumptions made about a fanbase and lacks creativity originality and intelligence. Thank you for your riveting comment

I love Penguin fans talking about how "unnecessary" hits can be now that Matt Cooke is off their team. As Marc Savard still eats with a straw...
- jimbro83

Seriously. True story, I have literally never seen a Penguins fan ever admit that Matt Cooke was dirty. NOT EVER. It's literally unpossible.

I love Penguin fans talking about how "unnecessary" hits can be now that Matt Cooke is off their team. As Marc Savard still eats with a straw...
- jimbro83

I love the hypocrisy of Rangers fans talking about how "dangerous" Byfuglien's crosscheck on Miller was when Staal was doing it repeatedly to Crosby throughout a series.

Seriously. True story, I have literally never seen a Penguins fan ever admit that Matt Cooke was dirty. NOT EVER. It's literally unpossible.
- BulliesPhan87

It's not 'impossible' to admit Cooke was dirty. So was Neal. Neither of them are currently employed by the Pens either.

Seriously. True story, I have literally never seen a Penguins fan ever admit that Matt Cooke was dirty. NOT EVER. It's literally unpossible.
- BulliesPhan87

I am not even looking for them to say the word dirty.

I am looking for Ryan's word.


"Unneccessary"

It's not 'impossible' to admit Cooke was dirty. So was Neal. Neither of them are employed by the Pens either.
- jfkst1

That's just an excuse. We all know Penguins fans are literally, physiologically incapable of admitting their players are dirty. Apparently they'll even go as far as hiding their dirty players on other rosters to avoid such admissions.

I love the hypocrisy of Rangers fans talking about how "dangerous" Byfuglien's crosscheck on Miller was when Staal was doing it repeatedly to Crosby throughout a series.
- jfkst1

the first rounder going to Edmonton for Perron isn't lottery protected is it?

I am not even looking for them to say the word dirty.

I am looking for Ryan's word.


"Unneccessary"
- jimbro83

I found it, it's right there at the end of your post. What do I win?