3 game suspension for Pacioretty

[Commandant]

I figured 2 games... so 3 isn't out of line with that.

[TurdBurglar]

The lesson in this suspension: skate with your head down.

[dlbalr]

Shanahan's video: http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=60&id=138334

[JCPetit]

Quite frustrating for Pax. When you think about it, he was almost beheaded by Chara last year, and the guy was not suspended. IMO, Pax tried to avoid the hit, Letang is able to come back and scores a goal, and gets 3 games.

Nothing for the hit against Campoli, nothing either to Lucic for the hit against Miller. Shanahan is hard to follow...

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

As far as I'm concerned Chara should have been charged with attempted murder, but that was under a different regime. The Campoli hit should have been a suspension. The Miller thing is more complicated. But all that aside, you cannot have guys smashing into opponents' chins. Much as it hurts the Habs, this is a good decision for hockey - but only if similar incidents are met with similar punishment, a qualifier that the Campoli ruling does partially cast in doubt. Nonetheless, I support getting tough on blows to the head and I therefore support this decision.

Incidentally, Letang did NOT 'put his head down.' He shot the puck and his head remained in the same place. Look at Shanny's video - it's an open and shut case.

[Commandant]

My big issue with this is that Andre Deveaux got 3 games for his hit.

Watch the two plays and explain how Deveaux is the same punishment?

I don't have a problem suspending Patches, but Deveaux should be 5-8 games on that standard.

[hab29RETIRED]

The lesson in this suspension: skate with your head down.

The lesson is only non-bruins and those not named Crosby get suspended.

[brobin]

I don't agree. Again, he is suggesting that Pacs drove into his head when it wasn't expected and that the shot did not change the hit... I am not sure what he is looking at. He put his head down to shoot and the twisting of his body meant his head was stuck out in front of him. Had he braced for the hit that he knows is coming, no issue.

Pacs didn't just hit the head, but hit the shoulder first. I just don't see how he can avoid contact with the head unless he goes for the guys knees. Shanny implies that Pacs made the wrong decision as soon as he left the wing to make the hit.. so he is saying.. you can't give a body check there because odds are, if the guy sticks his head out, you are getting suspended.

He also suggests that Pacs changed his angle with intent to hit the head. Pacs was clearly trying to avoid smoking the guy, but clipped the head.

Players will never figure this out if that is a suspend-able offense and three games implies this was one of the worse hits in the regular season.

[hab29RETIRED]

As far as I'm concerned Chara should have been charged with attempted murder, but that was under a different regime. The Campoli hit should have been a suspension. The Miller thing is more complicated. But all that aside, you cannot have guys smashing into opponents' chins. Much as it hurts the Habs, this is a good decision for hockey - but only if similar incidents are met with similar punishment, a qualifier that the Campoli ruling does partially cast in doubt. Nonetheless, I support getting tough on blows to the head and I therefore support this decision.

It's the same bullshit regime. Shanahan made some noise in pre-season. Did nothing on essetentially the same play for Campoli. Did nothing when Lucic steamrolled Miller. The bruins must laugh at the league after and during their hearings.

[brobin]

I can guarantee you, if Lucic does that to Gionta, we will hear how the height different was the cause and Lucic has a stellar reputation, so either nothing, or one game.

So far this season, we got nothing for the campoli hit. We were robbed twice by calls even Fraser says are BS, and now Pacs gets the upper end of what could be considered reasonable.

I suspect Montreal making noise about Chara last year is getting paid back in spades right now. We won't get any breaks from Shanny or anyone else at league headquarters.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

If you start getting into these fine points (oh, his head tilted by .05 degrees, oh, Patches kind glanced the shoulder before the head, etc.) you will never, ever get head shots out of the game. Exactly these rationales were used to argue that the Chara 'hit' was a 'hockey play.' No. Hit a guy's head, get suspended. Period.

Now whether or not the NHL is applying this standard consistently is another question. I think you have to give Shanahan a little more time. After all, he *will* make mistakes, and not every mistake is a sign of bullshit.

[brobin]

So three games?

I contend we embarrassed the league last year (they embarrassed themselves, but the Habs broke the code and complained) and if a hab gets hit, it will be nothing or minimum. If a hab does the hitting, high end of the scale.

Pacs was clearly trying to avoid the hit and clipped his nose. He broke his nose. Give him a game. If Pacs had really hit his head, he would be out until next year.

It should have been two games, with one less because Pacs tried to miss him. Instead, it was stated that Pacs moved to target the head so three games. BS.

[bar]

If you start getting into these fine points (oh, his head tilted by .05 degrees, oh, Patches kind glanced the shoulder before the head, etc.) you will never, ever get head shots out of the game. Exactly these rationales were used to argue that the Chara 'hit' was a 'hockey play.' No. Hit a guy's head, get suspended. Period.

Now whether or not the NHL is applying this standard consistently is another question. I think you have to give Shanahan a little more time. After all, he *will* make mistakes, and not every mistake is a sign of bullshit.

The finer points of each incident is what prevents from the NHL purely going ANY hit to the head is 3 games, 5 games, etc. I think if you suspend this hit, then you should take out open ice hits, there's always going to be variables: height difference, positioning. The reward at the current time is NOT worth the risk.

If they truely want to get rid of head shots institute a double minor for ANY hit to the head.

As an aside where is the outcry after Neal tommahawk chopped Subban in the head, that was a dirty play as well.

[hab29RETIRED]

If you start getting into these fine points (oh, his head tilted by .05 degrees, oh, Patches kind glanced the shoulder before the head, etc.) you will never, ever get head shots out of the game. Exactly these rationales were used to argue that the Chara 'hit' was a 'hockey play.' No. Hit a guy's head, get suspended. Period.

Now whether or not the NHL is applying this standard consistently is another question. I think you have to give Shanahan a little more time. After all, he *will* make mistakes, and not every mistake is a sign of bullshit.

I think this was a suspendable hit. But I also thought that the Lucic hit was a suspndable hit, the hit campoli took was suspendable. The bullshit explanation by Crosby was BS about his elbow to Foligno.

I had high hopes for Shanahan, but it's the same bullshit different person. I've been saying this for the past 15-20 years,if the NHL wants to clean up the game, they should put someone skilled like Mike Bossy who had his career cut short by BS crosschecks that weren't called and messed up his back.

[Commandant]

If you start getting into these fine points (oh, his head tilted by .05 degrees, oh, Patches kind glanced the shoulder before the head, etc.) you will never, ever get head shots out of the game. Exactly these rationales were used to argue that the Chara 'hit' was a 'hockey play.' No. Hit a guy's head, get suspended. Period.

Now whether or not the NHL is applying this standard consistently is another question. I think you have to give Shanahan a little more time. After all, he *will* make mistakes, and not every mistake is a sign of bullshit.

I agree this hit was suspendable. Thats not the issue.

The issue is too many other suspendable hits, from Malone, to Chara, to Crosby, to Weber, and others not being suspended and ones that are suspended not being a consistent number of games, ie Deveaux.

[bar]

I do not think they can look at these case by case if they are truely serious about head shots. Fans, media, players, coaches, even the NHL head offices constantly drone on about intent but videos cannot prove intent, in a vaccumn, yes this his is suspendable, in regards to the results of other hits similar (see: Campoli, etc) this is not. Be consistant and there will be no arguments.

[brobin]

Just a reminder...

This was a match penalty for an illegal hit to the head.

Here is how Shanny found a way not to suspend Malone:

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=60&id=125990

Thats right.. Campoli put himself in a vulnerable position and when Malone committed to the hit (about 15 feet from Campoli from the video), Campoli had his head up. So Campoli is at fault for lowering his head. Shanny even states, full head hit, no body check.

Now in the pacs hit, Pacs commits just as far away. Letang is head up. Just before the hit, Letang takes a shot and while he doesn't change his head height, it changes his heads location relative to his shoulder. Pacs even tries to compensate, but clips his nose.

Shanny uses these diffs to exonerate Malone, give 3 games to Pacs. I am sorry, that is just BS.

If Pacs earned three, the Malone earned at least two.

[hab29RETIRED]

Just saw the Deveoux hit. I'm convinced Shanahan is no better then Campbell is an even bigger idiot for actually showing both hits and having the same suspension. The Deveoux hit was WAY more flagrant. Same old NHL bullshit!

[JCPetit]

All in all, let's say that Shanahan is hard to follow. During the training camp, he was very tough, but since then his decisions leave a lot to desire in clarity and consistency. Obviously, he is under pressure and doesn't react very well to it. Too bad.

[Commandant]

Just saw the Deveoux hit. I'm convinced Shanahan is no better then Campbell is an even bigger idiot for actually showing both hits and having the same suspension. The Deveoux hit was WAY more flagrant. Same old NHL bullshit!

The Deveaux hit is such an elbow its ridiculous... I don't get it being the same.

[BCHabnut]

I don't agree. Again, he is suggesting that Pacs drove into his head when it wasn't expected and that the shot did not change the hit... I am not sure what he is looking at. He put his head down to shoot and the twisting of his body meant his head was stuck out in front of him. Had he braced for the hit that he knows is coming, no issue.

Pacs didn't just hit the head, but hit the shoulder first. I just don't see how he can avoid contact with the head unless he goes for the guys knees. Shanny implies that Pacs made the wrong decision as soon as he left the wing to make the hit.. so he is saying.. you can't give a body check there because odds are, if the guy sticks his head out, you are getting suspended.

He also suggests that Pacs changed his angle with intent to hit the head. Pacs was clearly trying to avoid smoking the guy, but clipped the head.

Players will never figure this out if that is a suspend-able offense and three games implies this was one of the worse hits in the regular season.

I totally agree. That whole scene where he highlighted Letang's head and say it didn't move??? Letangs back was nearly straight and head upright. After the shot his back was at a 45 degree angle. Unless he has a gumby neck and moved his head back, Letangs head moved forward. The only problem I have with this suspension is that it is a carbon copy of the Malone hit on Campoli. He got this one right. One game too many, and he got the malone hit wrong.

[brobin]

The Deveaux hit is such an elbow its ridiculous... I don't get it being the same.

Because Shanny has decided that Pacs was TARGETING the head with intent to injure. Malone had no intent (we must ignore him running around all game headhunting, it was all Campoli's fault).

Once again, they can use any excuse they want to justify their decisions.

[Habsfan]

I also saw the Deveaux Hit, and theres no way that that hit and the MaxPac hit on Letang should equate to the same number of games. Like many here think, I also believe that Max probably deserved a suspension, but I was expecting 1 maybe 2 games. To see him suspended for a hit that is nowhere nearly as bad as the Deveaux's hit, makes me sick to my stomach.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I agree this hit was suspendable. Thats not the issue.

The issue is too many other suspendable hits, from Malone, to Chara, to Crosby, to Weber, and others not being suspended and ones that are suspended not being a consistent number of games, ie Deveaux.

Yep. I agree with you here.

Looking again at that Campoli hit, it's ridiculous.

[BCHabnut]

Yep. I agree with you here.

Looking again at that Campoli hit, it's ridiculous.

It's actually much worse. Watch them back to back and tell me which looks more dangerous.