Shawn Thornton cheapshot on B. Orpik - gets 15 games

[taco.vidal]

This is in the OOT thread but no doubt this going to be talked about a lot in the days and weeks to come.

I haven't seen a video yet but lets post it here.

[jayswin]

https://vine.co/v/hQmwr2aI5BX

[Resolute 14]

There were actually two brutal cheapshots on the same shift.

Thornton was pissed at Orpik for an earlier hit, and ended up slew footing him then sucker punching him on the ice. Brutal play, and deserves a very long suspension.

But immediately before, James Neal deliberately aimed a knee to the head a Bruin who was lying prone on the ice. It should have also been a match penalty. The zebras only called it a minor. And while I missed the first half of the first period, it seems the officials were letting some cheap hits go and allowed the game to get out of hand. (Disclaimer: this is what NESN is saying, and I won't pretend they are completely objective.)

[nixon45]

Apparently he pulled Orpik to the ice and punched him in the head a couple times. Interesting to see the video.

Just saw that vine. Brutal

[Miniac]

Just saw this on coaches corner, don't like what Thornton did.

[d_phaneuf]

[Bezer]

Geez that's rough, you can't do that. That shot by Neal was complete garbage too.

I hope Orpik and Loui E are Ok.

[PeteMoss]

What a knob...

Hard to tell if the James Neal knee was on purpose though.

[Grimbl420]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Hard to tell if the James Neal knee was on purpose though.

Really? looked pretty blatant to me.

20+ for Thornton

[Miniac]

I get the fact that Thornton is trying to do his job but you don't punch his head into the ice.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

What a knob...

Hard to tell if the James Neal knee was on purpose though.

No it's not (hard to tell)

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

What a knob...

Hard to tell if the James Neal knee was on purpose though.

Neal both changed his direction slightly and left his knee hanging out. Deliberate as deliberate can be.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Miniac

I get the fact that Thornton is trying to do his job but you don't punch his head into the ice.

You don't slew foot a guy either. There's a reason why the rulebook allows for only one call for that infraction: match penalty.

[Mccree]

Yup Neal needs to sit a few games for that.

[edn88]

Would like Thornton to be suspended for the rest of the year for that - that is so bush league.

And Neal needs at least 5 games for that - even though it is Marchant on the receiving end.

[OILFAN #81]

I'd give Neal 4-5 games and Thornton 25 games. You simply cannot slew foot someone, drive someone's head to the ice and punch them. Ridiculous.

[Hells Bells]

25 games for Shawn Thornton.

3 games for James Kneel.

[Ashasx]

I don't know. From the video, it doesn't really look like Thornton really got him that hard with the punch. I guess I'm not seeing things correctly.

I think what Neal did was much worse.

[flames_fan_down_under]

Jeez two ugly plays. This all stemmed from Orpik absolutely destroying Loui Eriksson earlier in the period at the blue line, which in my eyes was a legal hit.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

I don't know. From the video, it doesn't really look like Thornton really got him that hard with the punch. I guess I'm not seeing things correctly.

I think what Neal did was much worse.

Orpik left on a stretcher. Thornton got him hard enough. That wasn't quite Bertuzzi level, but it wasn't all that far off, either.