Around the League - PLAYOFFS!?

[Evilhomer]

Domi: Elbow on Niedermayer the ‘dumbest thing I did in my career’

www.sportsnet.ca

This was 20 years ago, and so giving out less than 5 in today's environment is indefensible.

Indefensible if you start with the assumption that the league cares about player safety to any degree other than lip service. It doesn't. Just like every other sports league. An NFL player could die on the field and the most the NFL might do is postpone and reschedule the game. These guys are all replaceable commodities. Not much different from the real world.

 

[Fogelhund]

Indefensible if you start with the assumption that the league cares about player safety to any degree other than lip service. It doesn't. Just like every other sports league. An NFL player could die on the field and the most the NFL might do is postpone and reschedule the game. These guys are all replaceable commodities. Not much different from the real world.

It comes down to liability management. Be able to point to having done something.... see, we penalize this stuff, to discourage it.... for when they eventually end up with a lawsuit against them. It's not really enough to discourage it, but it probably is enough to defend from a liability suit.

 

[Dekes For Days]

While I completely agree the reality appears to be, at least to me, that the DOPS is performing exactly as both the league and players want it to.

If there's going to be meaningful change it's going to need to be driven by the players who, for some bizarre reason have decided they're more worried about getting a long suspension than they are about being seriously injured. Especially odd when a pretty small portion of the players do the majority of the most egregious stuff.

I think it comes down to the players being scared of giving the DOPS more power and influence over the game and their paycheques when they've proven to be biased, inconsistent, and corrupt. Create some actual standards and show competency, and I think more players would be open to supporting a stricter system. Right, now, it would just be like handing a gun to a knife-wielding maniac.

 

[blue stick]

The league really needs to come up with an award for a player like Stutzle.

 

[IPS]

No, just painfully inconsistent.

We got years of sample size that says this goes way beyond simple inconsistency.

 

[Evilhomer]

We got years of sample size that says this goes way beyond simple inconsistency.

I don't get this conspiracy stuff. Washington had the most games lost to suspension by a large margin. Boston also had more than Toronto. Does that mean that the director of player safety department is biased against the Capitals and Bruins?

 

[PromisedLand]

 

[IPS]

I don't get this conspiracy stuff.

You don't have to. Why are you labeling it a conspiracy to begin with?

 

[BallardEra]

I saw where he was implying that Reaves and him didn't get a fair enough of a shot to play.

 

[Darcy Tucker]

Overdrive just confirmed Gallagher got suspended 5 games. What was he thinking with that bullshit hit , doing a WWE move on a guy with previous concussion problems. Didn't affect the play at all. Dirtbag stuff.

 

[PromisedLand]

And just like that we have a new developing story

 

[MCR74]

View attachment 810993

I wish thinking atop of a swimming pool, but that works.

 

[ULF_55]

I don't get this conspiracy stuff. Washington had the most games lost to suspension by a large margin. Boston also had more than Toronto. Does that mean that the director of player safety department is biased against the Capitals and Bruins?

Context helps ... Tom Wilson got 20.
And there were a couple 10 game suspension for a couple of teams. Could be the 10 games for leaving the bench during an altercation which is automatic, or used to be anyway.

 

[Evilhomer]

Context helps ... Tom Wilson got 20.
And there were a couple 10 game suspension for a couple of teams. Could be the 10 games for leaving the bench during an altercation which is automatic, or used to be anyway.

Of course context is required, but show me where the bias is. Did Kadri and Bunting not deserve their suspensions? Everyone says the league is biased in favour of the Avalanche because they are assessed the fewest number of penalties, but the number of games they have lost to suspension is near the top of the league. I think the better answer is that these guys pretty much make things up as they go, and they are heavily influenced by the context in which the offense occurs. Do something terrible in the playoffs? The suspension will be big. Do something that makes the news everywhere? Your suspension will be big. Do something terrible, but no one gets injured and it was against a relatively meaningless team (like the Islanders) and it isn't being shown on every media outlet? 5 games or less for you.

 

[PromisedLand]

 

[PromisedLand]

 

[LeafEgo]

Poor Wild, just hoping he retires.

 

[Evilhomer]

I think the refs are biased against Florida. Pittsburgh had something like 7 power plays, and there is still time for another one in overtime.

 

[BallardEra]

Panthers win again. Thanks for nothing Pens.

 

[Seath The Scaleless]

Kings got spanked again.

2 wins in 15 games. What a disaster.

 

[BallardEra]

Florida is undefeated this season when leading after two periods.

Pens looking pretty bad:

I think the refs are biased against Florida. Pittsburgh had something like 7 power plays, and there is still time for another one in overtime.

Only the Blackhawks have a worse PP in the league than the Pens do.

 

[baton elevated]

I think it comes down to the players being scared of giving the DOPS more power and influence over the game and their paycheques when they've proven to be biased, inconsistent, and corrupt. Create some actual standards and show competency, and I think more players would be open to supporting a stricter system. Right, now, it would just be like handing a gun to a knife-wielding maniac.

No need to be scared of any retaliation. The players are represented by a union. All they have to do is approach the Association with their grievances and let them fight the battle. If there indeed is a problem with DOPS the PA is already on the case.

 

[Darcy Tucker]

Only the Blackhawks have a worse PP in the league than the Pens do.

Which is absolutely insane to think about because they are deploying 4 future Hall of Famers and Guentzel/Rust.

 

[Dekes For Days]

No need to be scared of any retaliation. The players are represented by a union. All they have to do is approach the Association with their grievances and let them fight the battle. If there indeed is a problem with DOPS the PA is already on the case.

It's not about specific retaliation. It's about further empowering a corrupt entity.

Did Kadri and Bunting not deserve their suspensions?

Based on the established standards, no they didn't. At least not those lengths.

Do something terrible in the playoffs? The suspension will be big.

That's the opposite of how they do it. According to them, playoff games are worth double, and the bar to qualify for any suspension is higher.

Do something that makes the news everywhere? Your suspension will be big.

You're literally describing bias depending on the team's market size and media focus. I wonder which team that might impact the most... hmmm...

 

[ToneDog]

Mac with 14 points in last 5 games. 31 goals. 2x 4 and 5 points nights. 6x 3point nights. 7x with no points. On pace for 140 points.

Kutch 32 goals. 1x 6 and 5 points nights. 2x 4 point nights. 9x 3point nights. 10x with no points. On pace for 141 points.

Pasta 31 goals. 10x 3 point nights. 13x with no points. On pace for 118 points.

Matty 39 goals!! 2x 4 points nights. 6x 3point nights. 16x with no points. On pace for 104 points.