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Amateur
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Last Login: 7/5/2007 2:15:00 PM
Posts: 29,
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| Any opinions on this one? I saw the hit and it was defintely late, not dirty in the sense of an elbow to the head but the players involved make me question the no call. Drury, a top tier player and co-captain, was clearly out of the play as the puck had left his stick about 2 seconds before the hit. I understand Neil needs to be effective in his job as an agitator but to take out a Captain?? There are certain things you don't do and that's mess with the team captain. Look what happened to Naslund vs Moore vs Bertuzzi vs Moore's legal team. A Moore, a rookie at the time, ultimately had his neck broken because he took out the team's captain Naslund and did not own up to it. Neil is a weasle and I can see him avoiding a fight if he wanted to. I see shadows of the Ottawa vs Philly brawl brewing again! (see you tube if you haven't seen it - something to do with Havlat being a wuss or something like that..) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPafCIOw2Q4 Personally I think it was a late hit and Buffalo will make Chris Neil pay. Ottawa better call up McGrattan cause Neil is marked! BTW does anyone else think Lindy Ruff needs to shut the hell up and coach? I remember Darcy Tucker's attempted knee to the leg and elbow to the head at the same time rant...just take care of business man! The press is not going to help you on the ice!
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Veteran
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Last Login: 1/24/2008 7:26:07 AM
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Lindy Ruff does seem to be a whiner. I own a lot of Sabres, so I listen to him more than I care to. He deserves a suspension just for putting a full goon line out on the next shift, regardless of whether he gave them any instructions.
That said, I don't think Chris Neil did much of anything wrong -- the hit wasn't late enough to be considered late. He knows his job, he does it well, and whether or not he can read, the presence of an A or C on Drury's sweater is irrelevant. Is he supposed to let up on the Sabres because they're injury-riddled? No, not in his contract.
My problem, [and apparently Don Cherry's too, (do his writers lurk here?)] is with the Sens doing nothing to protect/prevent Emery. Just goes to show that this "team" hasn't solved its prima donna problems. Talented? Yes. But still not a team.
McGrattan should dress, as should Neil, Peters, Mair, Kaleta, and anybody else available. (Is Peter Worrell still pretending to be Swedish someplace?) Get it out of the way, eject a pile of people, and then play the fracking game.
My 2 cents.
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It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.
- Charles Darwin, naturalist and author (1809-1882)
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Columnist / Hockey Moderator
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Last Login: 5/21/2008 5:01:40 PM
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| im more than a little bit tired of Lindy Ruff (WOLF!) and his complaining whenever anyone on his team gets hit. Lindy (WOLF!) brings this stuff up more than any coach in the league which i think is ironic given the way that Lindy (WOLF!) used to play himself. im very surprised that we didnt hear the old chestnut about "our guy will be out for a month and their guy will be in the minors in a week", we didn't because Neil is a quality hockey player who will fight his own battles. this hit on Drury wasn't late enough to be illegal and it's right in the rules that a guy can be hit when he has the puck or has just gotten rid of it. i was talking with pegrulz (we work together) and he was saying how Neil is going to pay, and i think that even Neil realizes that. Neil has paid his dues and he'll pay them again, the Sabres will throw whatever they need to throw at him and he'll address it. i expect that Neil is going to get me a fighting major tonight, probably more and i also expect that McGratton who will be dressed for the game, will be right in the middle of it all. ok, so Emery and Biron is happening, Biron falls down and they apparently stop chucking. at that moment Andrew Peters skates over and starts up with Emery, couldn't that be viewed as a 3rd man in? and why is a goon searching out a goalie? and where are Emery's defensemen on the ice? what is Bryan Murray thinking if their Captain was just levelled and taken off the ice then he doesn't put anyone with a little edge on the ice? i saw Peters and Mair going after Heatley and Spezza? where's Meszaros? where's Redden? where's NEIL? i know they have last change and all but still you really should get SOMEBODY on the ice given this eventuality, am i right? i'm not bothered by Neil's tactics, that's just good hard hockey. i am bothered by Peters' tactics. and both coaches annoy me, especially Lindy (WO .... oh never mind).
_____________________ Questions? contact me at ian@talentedmrroto.com Additional comments can be seen at my hockey/fantasy sports/general life blog at www.shallowfrozenwater.blogspot.com. i'll try to do weekly team reviews if you want me to look at your hockey team then fire off an email to me
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Veteran
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Last Login: 1/24/2008 7:26:07 AM
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Right on Ian. And I've got him active in my deep keeper roto too. Did you notice he was playing on the first line Thursday night, with Heatley and Spezza? Golden.
By the way, last night on TSN's That's Hockey they ran a clock on the video of the hit. They timed the delay between the puck leaving Drury's stick, and Neil's shoulder (not elbow) connecting with Drury's head, at 49/100ths of a second. If that's late, then most hits in the league are.
It was a clean hit according to current NHL rules. Should the rules change to outlaw any hit to the head? Maybe, but it would fundamentally change (again) my favourite game.
--
It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.
- Charles Darwin, naturalist and author (1809-1882)
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