171 replies to this topic

[dimitrym91]

Anyone saying orpiks hit was dirty, just no, eriksson touches the puck, there is no disputing that as you can clearly see it change direction in the video and he then hits him shoulder to shoulder, what made it bad was that eriksson wasn't looking and had no chance to brace himself but whats orpik going to do there, let him out of the zone easy? I think anyone saying that orpik should have fought thornton is silly, why should he fight him? orpik threw a clean hit, that shouldn't make it mandatory to fight

[iceman8310]

Anyone saying orpiks hit was dirty, just no, eriksson touches the puck, there is no disputing that as you can clearly see it change direction in the video and he then hits him shoulder to shoulder, what made it bad was that eriksson wasn't looking and had no chance to brace himself but whats orpik going to do there, let him out of the zone easy? I think anyone saying that orpik should have fought thornton is silly, why should he fight him? orpik threw a clean hit, that shouldn't make it mandatory to fight

So neals knee to March and was clean too?

[dimitrym91]

I thought it was at first but now after watching its not, but what neal did to marchand makes it ok for thornton to jump orpik? how does that make sense? everyone is saying oh thornton isn't that kind of player yada yada well unfortunately he was that kind of player last night, and being emotional about it after the game isn't going to change that, I got the feeling a lot of that had to do with not getting suspended for a long time cause quite honestly what he did was very bertuzzi like

[iceman8310]

that wasn't as bad as the bertuzzi hit

[Dupes]

I hadn't seen Neal's knee hit Marchand. Unless Neal is blind, he could of moved out of the way.

[ken6473]

Orpik's hit was clean. Players shouldn't have to answer "the call" for a clean check.

 

Neal's play was dirty, no doubt. 3-4 games.

 

Thornton was gutless. I understand that it's a heat of the moment deal, and that he feels awful, but he deserves 7-8 games IMO.

 

As per Darren Dreger, Chris Kelly suffered a broken ankle last night on a slash from Dupuis. The next time these two teams play, it won't be pretty.

[theruz23]

bruins are far from the cleanest lol 

[iceman8310]

bruins are far from the cleanest lol 

neither are penguins

[theruz23]

neither are penguins

they both are you are correct, i hate both of them lol

[ken6473]

they both are you are correct, i hate both of them lol

AMEN.

[ken6473]

Great article from Kerry Fraser on tsn.ca in regards to last night's events. 

 

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=438513

[iceman8310]

Very good. Both teams are too blame. Is it going to take someone going after Crosby, kane, or a big name like that for the league to do something or get rid of the instigator rule? There seems to be no respect between player's anymore. Neal sort of did the same thing to Giroux a few years ago in the playoffs. He was suspended but continues to play dirty.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=438513[/quote]

[shoeshine boy]

I wouldn't say biggest diver by any means...
Thornton is definitely not that type of player at all as stated, and he apparently was expressing a great deal or remorse and disgust in his actions during the post-game media. I was working so have not seen these clips yet to say 100%. Very ugly on both ends.

 

take another look at some of Marchand's embellishments such as this one:

he falls down like a D league hockey player.

 

don't get me wrong. the Bruins are my #2 team and I like Marchand but he is the king of taking a minor hit and making it look like a truck came through and hit him. I don't think he embellished this one but he's got a reputation and that's impossible to ignore.

 

as for Thornton, I 100% agree that he's not that kind of player but neither was Bertuzzi really before that incident. it's bad enough that Thornton grabs Orpik from behind but then he's punching him when he's down and defenseless. I've heard he was pinning down his arm too but haven't actually noticed that yet.

[iceman8310]

crosby used to be the king of embellishment.

Neal deserves 10+ games
Thornton 15+ games

I really think its going to take a player two handing their stick to someone's head like a baseball bat for the league to do something.

[Fielder07]

If the knee was to somebody like Bergeron this wouldn't even be a discussion. Put your hate for a particular player aside and look at the incident. It was an intentional knee to the head as Fraser stated.

As for everything else, this is the result of all of the so called "improvements" the league has made in the post lockout era. When hooking and flipping the puck over the glass are the only penalties worthy of calling, because all the pink hat fans want to see is a game with 10 combined goals. When guys were hard nosed in the clutch and grab era, you didn't see players taking offense to every little hit and seeking retribution in a dirty way. Now we have guys flying around at 100mph that don't understand how to hit properly and we wonder why head injuries are on the rise. Also, there are an increasing number of smaller, speedy skill players in the league that get into the act and refuse to fight, so guys get even by taking cheap shots. The league needs to take a step back and realize that a little obstruction in a low scoring game is better and safer than what has been created over the past 8 years.

[rover]

Just a few hours before this game the NHL channel aired the last Behind the B's show, and in it they show Julien telling the bench not to fight, especially Thornton so that they dont' give the other team momentum.  Somebody on the bench says something to the fact that "Yeah other teams do it to us, they wont fight us."

 

Then this happens later on that night.  Can't back up Thornton's actions here at all.  Neal definitely knew what he was doing though. It would be a crime if Neal gets away with that.  Did Marchand play after the knee hit?

[shoeshine boy]

 Did Marchand play after the knee hit?

 

pretty sure Marchand didn't miss a shift and played the remainder of the game.
 

[iceman8310]

Any else see letangs cross check from behind on seidenberg after a clean check?

[Grammer]

I'd love to get the glasses that so many Bruins fans seem to watch hockey through. It must be a whole different world where Jack Edwards is God. 

 

Thornton did bad, he knows it, he's sorry, that doesn't excuse it. However, he's one of the toughest guys in the league, he can play, he plays a hard hitting old school game and he's never been suspended before. I think four to six is fair.

 

Neal gave Marchy a little tap to the side of the head while he GLIDED by. Certainly he changed course, certainly it was deliberate. But 10 games? Not a chance it deserves that. When anything happens to Marchand I get a little bounce in my step. As Don Cherry says, you live by the sword and you die by the sword. There's no dirtier piece of shit player in the league this side of Patrick Kaleta. Anything Marchand get, he deserves on karma alone. 

 

Orpik's hit on Eriksson was clean as a whistle. Erikson touched the puck, but even if he didn't, Orpik has to play it like Eriksson's gonna take possession. The pass was made to him. Orpik has the right to step up. And he can't be reasonably expected to change his route if Eriksson misses the pass that was made to him or decides to bail on the puck. 

 

Ultimately, Neal won't be suspended, and Thornton should get four or so. Might get six or seven because the league is so fucking reactionary when there are stretchers involved. 

[JoeyJ0506]

Neal's play was dirty.  Hefty fine and hopefully some suspension time coming.  He runs around and gets away with a lot of ugly stuff.

 

If ANYONE sees what Thorton did to Orpik as okay... just wow.  EVEN IF you think Orpik should have fought for the earlier hit what Thorton did is inexcusable.  Orpik was engaged in a scrum with other players.  Thorton skated up behind Orpik grabbed him by the shoulder, pushed him backwards, and kicked his feet out from under him to get him to the ice.  Thorton then punched a DEFENSELESS Orpik in the face, driving through and striking with the elbow as well.  He then threw a second punch (I believe the one that KO'd him) before being pulled off.  

 

I hope Orpik is okay, that very easily could have been his last three minutes and sixteen seconds of NHL ice time last night.  Luckily, I think he will be okay.