Do you think it be better if they let all four refs make calls?
- dozerD10

Exact opposite, I'd say.

Take away all power for the guys on the ice. They've proven they can't be trusted, over and over again.

Make it 3 or keep it 4 officials on the ice, but they're all basically regulated to linesmen duties. Calling off-sides, icing, and breaking up tussles.

Have 2 refs in the stands, where they can actually see what's happening. They talk to the officials on the ice through ear pieces and the guys on the ice deliver the calls.

Boom. At the very least, it's an improvement.

Allow fighting like it was back in the 90s and that poop would stop quick.

This is the league’s fault for creating the game where this can happen. A player ramped up emotionally isn’t going to be thinking straight. That’s why the rules fall onto the league’s shoulders.

Otherwise, it’s not going to change so complaining about it is nothing more than a waste of breath.
- Dozzer

Players aren't stupid. They adjust to what the league is calling. Each year they push the envelope a little further. This year, a number of players have been injured by dirty hits and it seems like the punishment isn't much. Add to that, the inconsistency, and you have an annual poopshow that keeps getting more poopty. The endgame is that one day a team is just going to ice like 6 goons in game one with instructions to run goalies and injure people, especially star players.

Or, and I’m just spitballing here, hand out significant suspensions when someone pulls that poop. The loss of multiple games (and the $ that goes with it) is going to be more of a disincentive than a 30 second fight
- Canada Cup

I think allowing fighting makes it more of a circus. Significant in-game penalties and suspensions with some bite (for everyone, not just Leafs players) would help. So far, the league appears to be encouraging dangerous play.

If you believe there is any thinking straight in the middle of a NHL playoff game by a player you’re flat out wrong.

It’s hockey, if you don’t like violence go start watching golf or something.

The only way this would not have happened if there was a Probert-esque player for Vegas. This type of crap is nothing new since the league started trying to control fighting more. The league isn’t popular enough in the US to start giving huge suspensions to star players and team captains so we need to shrug off shorter suspensions or hope the league let’s fighting go back to what it was.
- Dozzer

I love violence. I love that Bennett hit on Slavin (sad he got hurt). I love Trouba keeping Scott Steven's lifestyle alive for the modern game. I love tough hockey. THIS ISN'T HOCKEY Bruce. Watch the (frank)ing clip. Take it out of the game. This isn't netfront nonsense or random slashes or facewashing trolling like Marchand on the Twins.

This is a "get the (frank) out of my league" move. Landing spot my (frank)ing ass. Suspend him for the playoffs (I know they'll likely be out in 2 anyways) and charge him some actual (frank)ing money. Cowardly bullpoop by a big (frank)ing crybully who hides behind the fact that he's a moron.

It's hard to believe that neither the Leafs or the Canes did what you need to do when facing a goalie on a serious heater - you've got to run him. Yes, you're going to take some penalties, but you've got to do SOMETHING to change the equation. It's worth it. Knowing the size of that Vegas team, and Bruce Cassidy as coach, I would be shocked if they don't go right at Bobrovsky starting in game 1.

I missed that there are no more fights in the NHL. In fact there are often fights after these dirty hits. If you want to cut down on dirty, injury causing bullpoop, you need to make sure there’s a price to be paid. A fight won’t do it. Significant suspensions hurt players more than a fight. And owners don’t want to see star players out with injuries for extended periods.
- Canada Cup

The American teams cannot lose top end players due to suspension. End of story.

They’d lose out on ticket sales big time and become another bloody Arizona team.

Players aren't stupid. They adjust to what the league is calling. Each year they push the envelope a little further. This year, a number of players have been injured by dirty hits and it seems like the punishment isn't much. Add to that, the inconsistency, and you have an annual poopshow that keeps getting more poopty. The endgame is that one day a team is just going to ice like 6 goons in game one with instructions to run goalies and injure people, especially star players.
- Interloper

Players have been getting hurt by dirty hits for a couple decades now, far more often since fighting has gotten curbed, it’s not getting worse by worse.

I love violence. I love that Bennett hit on Slavin (sad he got hurt). I love Trouba keeping Scott Steven's lifestyle alive for the modern game. I love tough hockey. THIS ISN'T HOCKEY Bruce. Watch the (frank)ing clip. Take it out of the game. This isn't netfront nonsense or random slashes or facewashing trolling like Marchand on the Twins.

This is a "get the (frank) out of my league" move. Landing spot my (frank)ing ass. Suspend him for the playoffs (I know they'll likely be out in 2 anyways) and charge him some actual (frank)ing money. Cowardly bullpoop by a big (frank)ing crybully who hides behind the fact that he's a moron.



- AdamFrench

Good. The league should go back to being rough as hell like that. Preferable to me.

Maybe Shanny didn't like Lou having so much power and that's why he liked Dubas for the job, so he can keep him under his thumb.

I do think Dubas needed to clear things with Shanny that would need board approval. Like contracts as an example. It's quite possible he had limits and had to run them by Shanny first.

Same as bigger trades, involving a 1st round pick or something, had to float the idea by Shanny and the board. That seems a little far fetched so I'll stick to the contracts lol
- Aaron_85

Oh I agree. It sounds like Dubas had a different operating requirement than Lou. But for me that makes sense because he was a 32 yr old with no NHL GM experience.

It wouldn't be surprising that the final dispute really was about how much 'greater autonomy' Dubas wanted or was being granted going forward.

My point is that MLSE and Shanny have offered autonomy to their GMS. Lou confirmed that he had it. Burkie had it as well although he was GM/Pres. Kyle had strings b/c of his circumstance and lack of experience.

I remember Burkie calling the media idiots b/c they questioned his autonomy with the MLSE board.

The American teams cannot lose top end players due to suspension. End of story.

They’d lose out on ticket sales big time and become another bloody Arizona team.
- Dozzer

what if they lose them for much longer due to injury?

It's hard to believe that neither the Leafs or the Canes did what you need to do when facing a goalie on a serious heater - you've got to run him. Yes, you're going to take some penalties, but you've got to do SOMETHING to change the equation. It's worth it. Knowing the size of that Vegas team, and Bruce Cassidy as coach, I would be shocked if they don't go right at Bobrovsky starting in game 1.
- fifty__missions

Yup. Put some big bodies right in front of Bob and hack, run, and bully him as much as possible.

Leafs are too soft. Canes were missing key firepower and didn't run Bob like they should have.

Good. The league should go back to being rough as hell like that. Preferable to me.
- Dozzer

Nah man. This is irredeemable horsepoop.

It has nothing to do with hockey.

He was thinking straight. He literally looked around before doing it to see if nobody would notice.
- AdamFrench

And he finagled his stick so that Stone's arm wouldn't block it on the way to his neck.

It's hard to believe that neither the Leafs or the Canes did what you need to do when facing a goalie on a serious heater - you've got to run him. Yes, you're going to take some penalties, but you've got to do SOMETHING to change the equation. It's worth it. Knowing the size of that Vegas team, and Bruce Cassidy as coach, I would be shocked if they don't go right at Bobrovsky starting in game 1.
- fifty__missions

Boston too. Where was that accidentally-on-purpose fell on Bob moment for Marchand.

Even without running him - Vegas needs to get their big asses into his grill. Florida's defense should not be intimidating anybody from standing there.

All that said - FLA's playing near-perfect collapse/rope a dope hockey. Clog the netfront and block the shooting lanes. There top 3 lines are all committed to playing really good defensive hockey.

Do that ....and then bury your chances at the other end.

Crazy that they've gone 11-1 in their last 12 games and essentially won them all by 1 goal. All close, anybody could win, type games - but they got it done. BOB for president.

If you believe there is any thinking straight in the middle of a NHL playoff game by a player you’re flat out wrong.

It’s hockey, if you don’t like violence go start watching golf or something.

The only way this would not have happened if there was a Probert-esque player for Vegas. This type of crap is nothing new since the league started trying to control fighting more. The league isn’t popular enough in the US to start giving huge suspensions to star players and team captains so we need to shrug off shorter suspensions or hope the league let’s fighting go back to what it was.
- Dozzer

It feels like you're trolling.

The "old days" of hockey are not the better days of hockey. The Broadstreet Bullies and cocaine fuelled fist fights followed by severe CTE and early deaths - those are all awful. They are things that other physical and violent sports have sought to reduce or eliminate.

Hockey has said they are going to, but it's all optics. They lost that last lawsuit about concussions despite getting every former player who now works for the NHL to testify against their former brethren - like the turncoats they are - and the next lawsuit will be worse.

So on a side tangent, the officiating in the playoffs isn't necessarily worse on a per violation basis; the players get more amped up and do more things in violation of the rules. The refs continue to call only a small percentage of things - and hence playoff hockey looks tougher and gets dangerous. The problem here is that the refs, in the regular season, don't get caught up in the emotion of the moment themselves and recognize dangerous plays (the first example that comes to mind is something like that charge by Gudas on Kampf) - they may not be THAT egregious, but they are something they want to quell and put a stop to. In the playoffs, they don't.

So the bar for what is and isn't acceptable is, at times, escalating - and frustrations run high and some guys start to get a victim complex - and you get a Pietrangelo or Kadri moment. All caused because the rules, which are clearly (frank)ing written, aren't being observed by the guys who have a job to call those rules.

Now. From all of that. ALL of that. Actions like what Benn did to Stone don't have a place in any sport. It's an egregious attempt to injure a player borne out of frustration and anger - and you can bet your ass that if the guy delivering that shot was wearing Oiler or Leaf or Flame colours, or if the guy in charge wasn't a useless twatwaffle, the suspension would have been extensive.

It's hard to believe that neither the Leafs or the Canes did what you need to do when facing a goalie on a serious heater - you've got to run him. Yes, you're going to take some penalties, but you've got to do SOMETHING to change the equation. It's worth it. Knowing the size of that Vegas team, and Bruce Cassidy as coach, I would be shocked if they don't go right at Bobrovsky starting in game 1.
- fifty__missions

I was saying during our series to a friend that Simmonds is never wearing an NHL jersey again. Give him that chance. Give him game 2 and just send him out and tell him to go make Bob's life awful. He'll know what it means. You don't have to hurt him, but you get him thinking about physical collisions - his mind strays from the puck sometimes because he wants to protect himself. I mean you're on the edge of the crease in Gallagher-land and who knows where you're going to fall? I'll tell you this: refs don't understand physics. A guy cross checks me in the back and I fall backwards on top of the goalie? The refs are like, "well, that was clearly on the defender!"

I was saying during our series to a friend that Simmonds is never wearing an NHL jersey again. Give him that chance. Give him game 2 and just send him out and tell him to go make Bob's life awful. He'll know what it means. You don't have to hurt him, but you get him thinking about physical collisions - his mind strays from the puck sometimes because he wants to protect himself. I mean you're on the edge of the crease in Gallagher-land and who knows where you're going to fall? I'll tell you this: refs don't understand physics. A guy cross checks me in the back and I fall backwards on top of the goalie? The refs are like, "well, that was clearly on the defender!"
- Monkeypunk

I can't recall any moments where Bunting caused some poop in the crease. That should be his game ...but he's not very big. Knies might help. Need another top 6 guy that can be a net front pest with size.

Germany on the verge of an upset in the quarters against the Swiss.

Not a big fan of the term "end of story".

I picture my Mom with a shoe in her hand.

I can't recall any moments where Bunting caused some poop in the crease. That should be his game ...but he's not very big. Knies might help. Need another top 6 guy that can be a net front pest with size.
- The Law

I can see the leafs really being in on Bertuzzi.

Boston is actually in cap hell.

This seems like standard operating procedure for any business. Any seismic decision made usually has to be approved from the top.

Whether any moves were truly vetoed by Shanny is another matter and is open to speculation.
- mjones242

Not necessarily. A lot of GMs have more autonomy over the on-ice decisions.

I can't recall any moments where Bunting caused some poop in the crease. That should be his game ...but he's not very big. Knies might help. Need another top 6 guy that can be a net front pest with size.
- The Law

So at first I was going to say you need a big guy in the top-6 - and while it would help, the biggest or heaviest guys in the league aren't necessarily that great. Now of the top-100 heaviest players in the league, these are the top-10 goalscorers: Mikko Rantanen, Leon Draisaitl, Tage Thompson, Alex Ovechkin, Timo Meier, Auston Matthews, Bo Horvat, Roope Hintz and Chris Kreider.

Kreider is really the only solid netfront presence there. The others are shooters.

Excluding the elite goalscorers (Ovechkin, Kreider, Tarasenko and Kopitar - who also aren't very net present with the notable exclusion of Kreider), these are the heaviest forwards in the league:

Milan Lucic, Nick Ritchie, Anders Lee, Anthony Mantha, Pat Maroon, Jordan Greenway, Marcus Foligno, Radek Faksa, Ryan Reaves, Aliaksei Protas, Julien Gauthier, Nicholas Paul, Charlie Coyle and Alexey Toropchenko.

And I look at those names and then I think: No one does it better than a healthy Gallagher - 5'9 and 186 pounds soaking wet. Michael Bunting could very well have been the next Gallagher and been more beloved by his hometown than attempting to draw penalties. It's not size. It's courage and the willingness to just be that much an asshat.

I can see the leafs really being in on Bertuzzi.

Boston is actually in cap hell.
- Santo_44

Bertuzzi would work for me. Still young. He's probably $6M (or a bit more) per?

I can't recall any moments where Bunting caused some poop in the crease. That should be his game ...but he's not very big. Knies might help. Need another top 6 guy that can be a net front pest with size.
- The Law

Whorey Fairey??

😂

Bertuzzi would work for me. Still young. He's probably $6M (or a bit more) per?
- The Law

The athletic and Frank Serevalli came out with FA projections and both had him at 5.25Mx5.

6M would be too much. Not the going rate for 2nd line wingers.