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

[beleaf101]

Pink should be out til Sandin comes back. That would put an end the garbage

 

[acrobaticgoalie]

Boo hoo, don’t intentionally knee opposing players.

I'm not defending Pionk's actions. Just saying Spezza's play was dirtier. I'm glad he did it though.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

When was the last time (in a single game) where 2 players were suspended on separate plays that weren't even penalized in game.

The NHL has a referee problem.

The NHL has a mandate problem. If the NHL wanted the games called properly they would be. They want it called as evenly as possible for reasons that still escape me.

It's frustrating that the NHL willfully ignores the role they play in these incidents. If Dubois is called properly it's not a 4 on 4 and Pionk isn't in a position to injure Sandin. If Pionk is called for the obvious knee Spezza doesn't take a healthy run at him and hit him in a vulnerable position. If the first call is made none of the ensuing BS happens but nope, nothing is wrong with their system.

 

[Kurtz]

If that's 2 games, I fear Spezza's will be VERY long.

How so - is 2 too many or too few, and what impact does it have on Spezza's possible suspension?

 

[acrobaticgoalie]

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

Yes. A dirty play is a dirty play. We all know Spezza was targeting Pionk. He intentionally charged at a player that was down on the ice. Just because he wasn't injured on the play, doesn't make it less dirty. Same goes for Pionk's knee. If Sandin doesn't blow out his knee, it is still a dirty play.

If it was Dubois that did what Spezza did to one of our players, you know we all would be screaming bloody murder.

I'm glad Spezza stepped up though.

 

[JayfromNB1219]

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?

because he makes jeremy jacobs money

 

[Pinto]

Yes. A dirty play is a dirty play. We all know Spezza was targeting Pionk. He intentionally charged at a player that was down on the ice. Just because he wasn't injured on the play, doesn't make it less dirty. Same goes for Pionk's knee. If Sandin doesn't blow out his knee, it is still a dirty play.

If it was Dubois that did what Spezza did to one of our players, you know we all would be screaming bloody murder.

I'm glad Spezza stepped up though.

You’re absolutely right, but the NHL is stupid and far more often they care more about the result than the actual action itself.

 

[Geeve]

Wasn't that last year?

Tell that to McCarty and Lemieux.

 

[htpwn]

Two games seems low, given...

- No penalty was assessed in game, when it should have been a 5 minute major + game misconduct.
- A serious injury was sustained on the play
- The east/west angle is really damning. It may not have been 'intentional,' but it was very reckless.

But this is the NHL, so not remotely surprised. Now we wait for Spezza to get like 10 games despite no injury being sustained and having virtually no history of dirty play.

 

[francis246]

I think spezza gets 4 or 5 games

 

[AvroArrow]

Guy makes a reckless dirty play with clear intent to injury, that's not a hockey play. Sandin is gonna miss 3 weeks and probably wont be back to normal for about 5 weeks and this POS gets 2 ? lol. Better than zero which is what I expected but this is bush league stuff.

Spezza probably gets 4+ because retaliatory is always worse than the guy who started it

 

[123offtheglass]

I think he'll get 3 games.

 

[Fogelhund]

 

[uncleben]

Agreed. Do you happen to know the fine for third man in?

Nothing specific
I guess they could find someone for roughing or unsportsmanlike, but it's have to be pretty egregious

 

[TheShape]

100%. There needs to be some accountability for allowing the game to get out of hand. The referees need to be disciplined for their inability to do their job. It's literally their job to call (at the very least) egregious penalties, pionk and spezza. f***ing bananas

It's sickening how protected refs are. Speak out on it or question them? Fined.

Officiating is a thankless job. It's a very fast game and they can't possibly catch everything, but their inability to keep the game under control and make the obvious calls as you alluded to just screams incompetence to me.

Players, GMs, coaches, management all have to face the music and answer the questions. Why don't these guys?

 

[123offtheglass]

It's sickening how protected refs are. Speak out on it or question them? Fined.

Officiating is a thankless job. It's a very fast game and they can't possibly catch everything, but their inability to keep the game under control and make the obvious calls as you alluded to just screams incompetence to me.

Players, GMs, coaches, management all have to face the music and answer the questions. Why don't these guys?

Sadly because it'd be bad for their brand & image, gotta brush it under the rug with fines.

Just look at what happened to the Rangers this past year, & this new memo followed it up.

 

[Gallagbi]

Yes. A dirty play is a dirty play. We all know Spezza was targeting Pionk. He intentionally charged at a player that was down on the ice. Just because he wasn't injured on the play, doesn't make it less dirty. Same goes for Pionk's knee. If Sandin doesn't blow out his knee, it is still a dirty play.

If it was Dubois that did what Spezza did to one of our players, you know we all would be screaming bloody murder.

I'm glad Spezza stepped up though.

Dubois knee'd our goalie in the head later that period.

I agree that all 3 are dirty, if were quantifying how dirty one I'm slanting towards the one that took our player out and routinely has that impact

 

[BertCorbeau]

Elder got two games for his knee on Hyman, and he has a history. Was also given 5 and a game there too which the DOPS considers.

Pionk doesn’t have a suspension (though he should after the Marner thing), didn’t get penalized in this one. 2 games is fair.

Spezza’s was straight up malicious and reckless from but understandable and justified from a team perspective. So you take that suspension and live with it.

That being said you’d think Spezza’s lack of suspensions over his 20 year career might give me some rope. But the DOPS is just flexing.

 

[acrobaticgoalie]

You’re absolutely right, but the NHL is stupid and far more often they care more about the result than the actual action itself.

Yep. I've never understood why if you draw blood on a high stick, its an extra 2 minutes. If on 2 separate plays where the guy gets a stick to the chops and one draws a bit of blood and the other doesn't, why is one a worse offense? Its the exact same play. One guys just happened to get cut or a nose bleed.

 

[acrobaticgoalie]

Dubois knee'd our goalie in the head later that period.

I agree that all 3 are dirty, if were quantifying how dirty one I'm slanting towards the one that took our player out and routinely has that impact

That play was completely on Woll. Dubois was going for the puck. Woll skates out to the circle and dives right in front of him. I'm a goalie and I won't defend Woll on that. I got clipped in the head 2 weeks ago in my game where I made an aggressive play to make a poke check out of desperation on a guy that was taking it across the front of the crease. I took a knee to the head and didn't blame him. It was my own fault.

 

[DcW]

I'm not defending Pionk's actions. Just saying Spezza's play was dirtier. I'm glad he did it though.

The suspension will be worth it in the long run. Hopefully it’s a galvanizing moment for these guys and they continue to stick up for each other. Helps to have Wayne with crossed wires and Clifford patrolling around. Still need 34 to snap once in awhile and Ritchie to show some life

 

[The Apologist]

1. Foligno leaves bench to fight
2. Foligno runs over campbell in crease
3. Pionk brutally knees Sandin
4. Dubois knees Woll in the head
5. Stanley 3rd man in a fight

in 2 games.

in all of this, the only punishment might be a game or two for Pionk.

Meanwhile the Leafs will lose Sandin and Spezza longterm, got the extra penalties during the game, and Simmonds gets fined to boot.

And it will keep happening. And we will do nothing about it. This team will never win a thing because the NHL doesn't need them to.

 

[Caroline Says ll]

I feel like a lot of people underrate the dirty aspect of kneeing.

Peoples careers are altered by knee injuries.

Did Pionk want to injure? Probably not. But every player knows full well what can happen extending and leading with the legs in a hit.

 

[The Apologist]

That play was completely on Woll. Dubois was going for the puck. Woll skates out to the circle and dives right in front of him. I'm a goalie and I won't defend Woll on that. I got clipped in the head 2 weeks ago in my game where I made an aggressive play to make a poke check out of desperation on a guy that was taking it across the front of the crease. I took a knee to the head and didn't blame him. It was my own fault.

Bullshit. PL had plenty of time not to. He knew what he was doing. If it was a Leaf we'd be looking at ten games.

 

[The Apologist]

Pionk's missed elbow on Marner after scoring in the empty net last year deserved a beat down. I just can't recall if they played again after that last year?

He just needs to be knocked the f out in March. Him and Dubois. Then we can accidentally take out Heller too. Better not leave his crease.