Suspended: Spezza 6 games (Reduced to 4 games) | Pionk 2 games

[Throw More Waffles]

This is a difficult one, imo.

In all honesty, it's not clear to me that what Pionk did was intentional. Looks like their knees hit each other, and Sandin unfortunately got the worse of it. I do like that Clifford and Simmonds caused trouble afterwards, because even if unintentional, it needed a response.

But Spezza essentially charged a player who was on the ground and intentionally kneed him in the face. I mean, come on guys, that's a pretty sketchy thing to do. It feels good emotionally because we want justice for our player getting hurt. I'd wager that Spezza would right now agree that that wasn not an appropriate way to respond.

 

[leafsfan5]

Spezza had a dirty play but it was understandable given the heat of the moment and the refs not calling anything, you get why he's so pissed off. It's wrong though and he should be suspended

The Pionk hit is just dirty from a dirty f***ing player. Same guy who tried to end Marner's season last year. f*** him

 

[leafsfan2point0]

Any word on Sandin yet?

 

[Contenderorpretender]

Pld and pionk seem to get to run and do whatever they want whenever they play the Leafs. Pld definitely has a hard on for Matthews.

Didn't like the spezza hit but I completely understand his thinking.

And as has been said. If the refs did their f***ing job the game would have been vastly different.

 

[PROUD PAPA]

This is a difficult one, imo.

In all honesty, it's not clear to me that what Pionk did was intentional. Looks like their knees hit each other, and Sandin unfortunately got the worse of it. I do like that Clifford and Simmonds caused trouble afterwards, because even if unintentional, it needed a response.

But Spezza essentially charged a player who was on the ground and intentionally kneed him in the face. I mean, come on guys, that's a pretty sketchy thing to do. It feels good emotionally because we want justice for our player getting hurt. I'd wager that Spezza would right now agree that that wasn not an appropriate way to respond.

It didn't look like he caught a rut. So unless his body works independently from his brain, there was intent.

 

[Superstar]

It didn't look like he caught a rut. So unless his body works independently from his brain, there was intent.

It's obvious Pionk stuck his knee out, if he didn't Sandin would have skated right by him and embarrassed him.

 

[Cynical]

Running over a player that is already on the ice is worse than a knee on knee

I'm not sure about that. Pionk was able to hit Sandin very accurately and with force. That was just as intentional as Spezza. Both should get equal punishments but Spezza having a hearing will mean he gets more.

Essentially the NHL would rather punish the team defending their guy than the guy who originally started it all with the dirty hit. This is a huge issue right now. The instigator gets away with it most of the time.

 

[Throw More Waffles]

It didn't look like he caught a rut. So unless his body works independently from his brain, there was intent.

I'm trying to look at it as impartially as possible. I'm fully convinced the Debrusk hit on Kadri was intentional, and I understand why Kadri eventually lost his mind.

But man, it really isn't clear to me that Piont did that intentionally. Most non-leaf fans aren't convinced it was intentional either (and, again, the vast majority of non-leaf/bruin fans thought Debrusk WAS intentional, so it's not an anti-leaf bias thing).

 

[Gallagbi]

Running over a player that is already on the ice is worse than a knee on knee

One seems fine and one wasn't taken off likely to miss time. You sure about that?

 

[fahad203]

This is a difficult one, imo.

In all honesty, it's not clear to me that what Pionk did was intentional. Looks like their knees hit each other, and Sandin unfortunately got the worse of it. I do like that Clifford and Simmonds caused trouble afterwards, because even if unintentional, it needed a response.

But Spezza essentially charged a player who was on the ground and intentionally kneed him in the face. I mean, come on guys, that's a pretty sketchy thing to do. It feels good emotionally because we want justice for our player getting hurt. I'd wager that Spezza would right now agree that that wasn not an appropriate way to respond.

If this was any other player, you can argue that was a lame effect. When out of all people Jason Spezza comes after you, you know you did something stupid, however, intentional or not

That was more of a statement towards jets than Pionk as well. Jets were getting away with lot of BS only because league decided to baby seat them

Jason been in this league long enough to smell BS and for BS Pionk paid the price. I wish it was more steeper

 

[The Podium]

This is a difficult one, imo.

In all honesty, it's not clear to me that what Pionk did was intentional. Looks like their knees hit each other, and Sandin unfortunately got the worse of it. I do like that Clifford and Simmonds caused trouble afterwards, because even if unintentional, it needed a response.

But Spezza essentially charged a player who was on the ground and intentionally kneed him in the face. I mean, come on guys, that's a pretty sketchy thing to do. It feels good emotionally because we want justice for our player getting hurt. I'd wager that Spezza would right now agree that that wasn not an appropriate way to respond.

Partly true, Pionk however has a history of dirty plays.

Spezza definitely made the hit intentionally, but he clearly misses the head and knees him square in the chest.

 

[The Best Leafs Ever]

Bettman has easily been the worst clown there has ever been in any sports industry. I don't know how that buffoon got the job in the first place, and why he still hasn't been exiled to Mars?

 

[Throw More Waffles]

If this was any other player, you can argue that was a lame effect. When out of all people Jason Spezza comes after you, you know you did something stupid, however, intentional or not

That was more of a statement towards jets than Pionk as well. Jets were getting away with lot of BS only because league decided to baby seat them

Jason been in this league long enough to smell BS and for BS Pionk paid the price. I wish it was more steeper

Pionk paid the price? He seems fine to me. Spezza is suspended at least 5 games.

Love Spezza overall, but that was a stupid and dangerous hit. And, again, I'm not convinced the Pionk hit was intentional.

 

[PROUD PAPA]

I'm trying to look at it as impartially as possible. I'm fully convinced the Debrusk hit on Kadri was intentional, and I understand why Kadri eventually lost his mind.

But man, it really isn't clear to me that Piont did that intentionally. Most non-leaf fans aren't convinced it was intentional either (and, again, the vast majority of non-leaf/bruin fans thought Debrusk WAS intentional, so it's not an anti-leaf bias thing).

I'll admit that i'm not going out of my way to exonerate Pionk but i'm also honestly not seeing any reason to do so. To me it looks like he was about to be beat and took the only action that would prevent that from happening.

 

[fahad203]

Pionk paid the price? He seems fine to me. Spezza is suspended at least 5 games.

Love Spezza overall, but that was a stupid and dangerous hit. And, again, I'm not convinced the Pionk hit was intentional.

I am ok with that. Spezza will get some good rest as he'll need it

As I said, I wish our team's reaction was something more stupid. I would have been fine with it

Deterrence is still the best self defense. Winnipeg got a way with a lot of nonsense that game. Someone had to pay

 

[The Podium]

Pionk paid the price? He seems fine to me. Spezza is suspended at least 5 games.

Love Spezza overall, but that was a stupid and dangerous hit. And, again, I'm not convinced the Pionk hit was intentional.

You can see him turn his knee last second

Not to mention the puck was already off Sandin’s stick so even if unintentional, the hit was unnecessary.

 

[4thline]

It's obvious Pionk stuck his knee out, if he didn't Sandin would have skated right by him and embarrassed him.

To be fair, he was already embarrassed twice on that play, once for getting caught so far out of position, once for thinking he could close the gap and make a hit.

Honestly that probably fueled the decision to reach for a piece.

 

[Throw More Waffles]

I am ok with that. Spezza will get some good rest as he'll need it

As I said, I wish our team's reaction was something more stupid. I would have been fine with it

Deterrence is still the best self defense. Winnipeg got a way with a lot of nonsense that game. Someone had to pay

Define "pay". As dangerous as the Spezza hit was, Pionk came out of it perfectly fine. The leafs have a long term injury and a (likely) long suspension. The Jets have no long term injury and a (likely) short suspension. Don't really see how we came out on top here...

 

[Throw More Waffles]

You can see him turn his knee last second

Not to mention the puck was already off Sandin’s stick so even if unintentional, the hit was unnecessary.

Still doesn't exactly look intentional to me. The main boards (that 100% agreed the Debrusk knee on Kadri was intentional) seems unconvinced Pionk did that intentionally. When it's only leaf fans that believe something, it's time to start trying to reign in biases.

And yeah, maybe it was slightly late. But that, in itself, is like a 2 minute penalty.

 

[SprDaVE]

Still doesn't exactly look intentional to me. The main boards (that 100% agreed the Debrusk knee on Kadri was intentional) seems unconvinced Pionk did that intentionally. When it's only leaf fans that believe something, it's time to start trying to reign in biases.

And yeah, maybe it was slightly late. But that, in itself, is like a 2 minute penalty.

It was intentional for him to throw the hit. The result was Pionk missing Sandins body and throw out the leg in an attempt to still hit Sandin.

Rarely ever is the intention to injure when you throw a hit, this goes for head shots, in the numbers, etc.

Just because the intention isn't to injure someone, or go for the knee on knee, etc, it doesn't excuse the action and remove suspension.

He will get suspended. Trying to argue that the general forum of HFBoards is the perfect unbiased hockey take place is a weird one.

 

[The Podium]

Still doesn't exactly look intentional to me. The main boards (that 100% agreed the Debrusk knee on Kadri was intentional) seems unconvinced Pionk did that intentionally. When it's only leaf fans that believe something, it's time to start trying to reign in biases.

And yeah, maybe it was slightly late. But that, in itself, is like a 2 minute penalty.

The main boards? You’re convinced it’s not intentional because the main boards don’t think so?

Come on man….

He clearly twists his leg out last second, like clear as day. He changes trajectory and gets his knee between Sandins legs for no reason whatsoever.

 

[uncleben]

Why did Simmonds get fined?

Cross-checking
There was no play at all to it, he literally went around cross-checking a couple guys trying to get reaction, off the draw
That fine is fine by me, especially if they are serious about trying to crack down on ccing

 

[Superstar]

The main boards? You’re convinced it’s not intentional because the main boards don’t think so?

Come on man….

He clearly twists his leg out last second, like clear as day. He changes trajectory and gets his knee between Sandins legs for no reason whatsoever.

I think there are a few NHL refs who love reffing Leaf games posting on the main boards...

 

[34]

He could have tried but didn't. He took the approach that he had the "right to the basepath" and if Woll got in his way it was his own fault.

Sneaky dirty play.

Big time, very annoying.

 

[pcruz]

Honestly, there is no excuse for Spezza there.
He watched Tavares get carted off last season due to an unfortunate hit to the head, there's no good excuse for putting another player in the same position.

However, none of this ever even becomes possible if not for the inaction of the officials.
Time has come for this to be screamed at from up on high.....the refs have to start calling the games according to the rule book, not according to however many penalties have been called during the game already.

Tim Peel admitted to it.
It's the worst kept secret in the NHL, after Jim Benning's hair dye...the officials manage games instead of officiate.

It's pathetic.