Pittsburgh Penguins Thread

[Zach6668 513]

Rest of the season and first round of playoffs.So anywhere from 14-17 games.

Waiting until someone else confirms this, but that sure seems like overkill, considering the precedent the league has set, especially when it comes to the value of playoff games. Maybe it'll get the message across, though.

[FCP Bob 1,311]

Waiting until someone else confirms this, but that sure seems like overkill, considering the precedent the league has set, especially when it comes to the value of playoff games. Maybe it'll get the message across, though.

They just talked about on McCowan's show on The Fan

[Zach6668 513]

They just talked about on McCowan's show on The Fan

Yeah, I trust Kyper, but that's not the first report of his suspension from various MSM guys on Twitter today. It's confirmed all over the place now.

[serge 904]

I am on the side that its pretty fair suspension..I would be happy with an indefinite suspension for the rest of the year, however i feel without Sidney playing its a moot point anyway..

[serge 904]

Mr. Cooke, a repeat offender, directly and unnecessarily targeted the head of an opponent who was in an unsuspecting and vulnerable position,” said NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell. “This isn’t the first time this season that we have had to address dangerous behavior on the ice by Mr. Cooke, and his conduct requires an appropriately harsh response

[Zach6668 513]

I agree with this right now:4thPeriodDB Dennis BernsteinOn #NHL suspensions, one time correct can be an accident, two times correct is a trend. The next sentence is the key.

[digitalmonkey 929]

I hope the Penguins meet the Bruins in the first round.

[serge 904]

I agree with this right now:4thPeriodDB Dennis BernsteinOn #NHL suspensions, one time correct can be an accident, two times correct is a trend. The next sentence is the key.

The problem is no two cases are identical..If Henrik Sedin did what Cooke did he should and will get 2-3 games...

[digitalmonkey 929]

The problem is no two cases are identical..If Henrik Sedin did what Cooke did he should and will get 2-3 games...

I disagree that Henrik Sedin should only get 2 games if he did this. I think the suspension should serve more as a deterrent than a punishment.

[Zach6668 513]

The problem is no two cases are identical..If Henrik Sedin did what Cooke did he should and will get 2-3 games...

You're missing the point. If the NHL is serious about getting rid of illegal hits to the head, they need to suspend more than 2 games for this hit. Obviously for Cooke, being a repeat offender, he'll get more than Sedin, but to get the equivalent of 18-24* regular season games for something that you seem to think is worth 2-3 games for Sedin? That's just crazy. Hopefully the league uses this as a benchmark and starts actually punishing shots to the head, say 6+ games, even on a first offense, and maybe we'll be able to get rid of the bulk of them. People will actually start to think to avoid doing it.*18-24 reg season games is based on past theory that a playoff game is worth 2 regular season games, when it comes to suspensions - see Pronger, Chris circa 2007.

[Zach6668 513]

How's this for a deterrent?"Cooke will forfeit $219,512.20 in salary"

[MapleLeafpoker 1,462]

You're missing the point. If the NHL is serious about getting rid of illegal hits to the head, they need to suspend more than 2 games for this hit. Obviously for Cooke, being a repeat offender, he'll get more than Sedin, but to get the equivalent of 18-24* regular season games for something that you seem to think is worth 2-3 games for Sedin? That's just crazy. Hopefully the league uses this as a benchmark and starts actually punishing shots to the head, say 6+ games, even on a first offense, and maybe we'll be able to get rid of the bulk of them. People will actually start to think to avoid doing it.*18-24 reg season games is based on past theory that a playoff game is worth 2 regular season games, when it comes to suspensions - see Pronger, Chris circa 2007.

actually, im ok with this. Im a big believer in past history having a big say in punishment.

[Zach6668 513]

actually, im ok with this. Im a big believer in past history having a big say in punishment.

So basically, everyone gets one "free" pass with a head shot before the real punishments start?

[Zach6668 513]

Pretty much as expected:Ray Shero:“The suspension is warranted because that’s exactly the kind of hit we’re trying to get out of the game. Head shots have no place in hockey. We’ve told Matt in no uncertain terms that this kind of action on the ice is unacceptable and cannot happen. Head shots must be dealt with severely, and the Pittsburgh Penguins support the NHL in sending this very strong message.”

[digitalmonkey 929]

So basically, everyone gets one "free" pass with a head shot before the real punishments start?

Yeah, I don't get this "history" thing either.You really want to get rid of this shit then hold EVERYONE up to the same standards.

[MapleLeafpoker 1,462]

So basically, everyone gets one "free" pass with a head shot before the real punishments start?

no, but i figured someone would call me on that. :)I meant Im ok with Cooke getting something MUCH worse than a first time offendor, not giving someone else a pass on a first offence.Here's a comparison for me, based on a hit I thought was similar.Kubina hit Bolland a few weeks ago on a similar thing. I think he got 3 games. Same idea, elbow out, right to the head.If its Kubina's first, I'd give him 5/6games, and Id give Cooke 20+. I believe these hits should be min 5gp. And personally, Id even do this.....5games+ you sit out as long as the other player does. Bolland's still out? So is Kubina. Unfair? Too bad. Thats just me.

[Zach6668 513]

no, but i figured someone would call me on that. :)I meant Im ok with Cooke getting something MUCH worse than a first time offendor, not giving someone else a pass on a first offence.Here's a comparison for me, based on a hit I thought was similar.Kubina hit Bolland a few weeks ago on a similar thing. I think he got 3 games. Same idea, elbow out, right to the head.If its Kubina's first, I'd give him 5/6games, and Id give Cooke 20+. I believe these hits should be min 5gp. And personally, Id even do this.....5games+ you sit out as long as the other player does. Bolland's still out? So is Kubina. Unfair? Too bad. Thats just me.

Ok, so we're still kinda on the same page. As long as the numbers are increased for EVERYONE, even first time offenders, then I'm ok with it. I said 6+, you said 5+, same difference. These 1, 2, 3-game suspensions are clearly not deterring anyone from targeting the head.If the NHL is serious about the entire league, and not just making a statement to finally get some good press because it was Matt Cooke, then the next time someone gets an elbow to the head, it'll be a 5+ game suspension. I don't have a ton of faith in the NHL to be consistent like that, but we shall see.

[Zach6668 513]

Pretty much as expected:Ray Shero:“The suspension is warranted because that’s exactly the kind of hit we’re trying to get out of the game. Head shots have no place in hockey. We’ve told Matt in no uncertain terms that this kind of action on the ice is unacceptable and cannot happen. Head shots must be dealt with severely, and the Pittsburgh Penguins support the NHL in sending this very strong message.”

I love the Penguins organization.Compare this to Garth Snow after Gillies' second suspension, the 10-gamer he got for his head shot on Clutterbuck:“From the play, the way I saw it develop, it was a hit from behind on DiBenedetto by the Minnesota player,” Snow said prior to Saturday’s game against St. Louis, the first of 10 Gillies will miss due to the suspension. “Trevor comes over and tries to finish his check. First point of contact was shoulder-to-shoulder. It was not a hit from behind by any means.“I think his left glove accidentally followed through and made contact to the head. But, by no means do I think he had the intention to hurt the Minnesota player. I think he was going in with good intentions to finish his check, and it’s unfortunate he did receive a 10-game suspension.“I know Trevor as a person and I know there was no malicious intent when he was finishing the check.”

[MapleLeafpoker 1,462]

Yeah, I don't get this "history" thing either.You really want to get rid of this shit then hold EVERYONE up to the same standards.

you dont think a repeat offendor should be penalized more?

[MapleLeafpoker 1,462]

I love the Penguins organization.Compare this to Garth Snow after Gillies' second suspension, the 10-gamer he got for his head shot on Clutterbuck:

lets give the Islanders 3/4 more Gillies suspensions, and then judge them.it took the Pens quite a few Cookisms to step up too.I could be wrong, but I dont recall a lot coming from the Pens after the Savard hit.

[Zach6668 513]

lets give the Islanders 3/4 more Gillies suspensions, and then judge them.it took the Pens quite a few Cookisms to step up too.I could be wrong, but I dont recall a lot coming from the Pens after the Savard hit.

Maybe, but they didn't go out of their way to make excuses for the actions of their players. They never make excuses about anything, whether it's losing games, or that crap. That's all I meant, they take responsibility for what happens, they don't just make excuses.To be fair though, I'm pretty sure Guerin spoke ill of Cooke following his hit on Savard (which was not an illegal hit at the time).

[digitalmonkey 929]

you dont think a repeat offendor should be penalized more?

I think the penalty should be severe enough to discourage everyone. If the NHL wants to get rid of this type of thing then they need to place the emphasis on the act and not on who is doing it.

[ajs510 122]

Yeah, I don't get this "history" thing either.You really want to get rid of this shit then hold EVERYONE up to the same standards.

Yeah, but that isn't what the league wants, they want the goonish repeat offender stuff to stop but not at the expense of castrating the league and alienating fans. I'm very fine with the approach the league took here, it's the same way in the regular justice system...a guy on his 4th DWI is punished differently than a guy on his first and for good reason, you want to send a message in a way that will sink in, and the only way to sink it in with some people is to hit them where it hurts...their pride and their wallet.

[MapleLeafpoker 1,462]

you dont think a repeat offendor should be penalized more?

I think the penalty should be severe enough to discourage everyone. If the NHL wants to get rid of this type of thing then they need to place the emphasis on the act and not on who is doing it.

You would make a terrific politician. A smart response without ever answering the question.

[dEv~ 19]

Repeat offenders definitely deserve more but the bottom line is that the offenses need to be handled harshly as a whole. Sure the NHL got it right this time (based the majority of opinions I've seen) but we won't really know until we see how it's handled next time or maybe even not till next season.A 2-3 game suspension is like a vacation to some of these guys (even without pay). Double it at least and I doubt the feel the same way.