Shawn Thornton cheapshot on B. Orpik - gets 15 games

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by moon

That is a clean hit 100% from Orpik.

Not sure how people can whine about that at all.

Agreed. It's a perfect hit within the rules. Violent collision yes but within the rules. If players and fans can't accept a clean hit like this we may as well go to non-contact hockey. IMO the biggest issue in the league is this silly policing by teams after a solid clean hit on one of their players. I simply don't see why there has to be retribution paid for making a clean hit.

[Violator]

I see nothing wrong with what Thornton did that's just bruins hockey.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by Violator

I see nothing wrong with what Thornton did that's just bruins hockey.

Here we go...

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Agreed. It's a perfect hit within the rules. Violent collision yes but within the rules. If players and fans can't accept a clean hit like this we may as well go to non-contact hockey. IMO the biggest issue in the league is this silly policing by teams after a solid clean hit on one of their players. I simply don't see why there has to be retribution paid for making a clean hit.

It's too bad the NHL will take the cowards way out on this like they always do. They should drop the hammer on this and include a blanket statement regarding fighting after clean hits ... but they won't, and this crap will continue to go on and on.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by jschick88

Sucks these two teams don't play each other again this season.

@DarrenDreger Bruins forward Chris Kelly suffered broken ankle from Dupuis slash last night. Quite a game.

Never would have happened if we took goons and fighters like Dupuis out of the sport.

[Travis Munroe]

This is a perfect opportunity for the NHL to properly suspend players.
Thornton deserves 30 games
Neal deserves 35 games

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Never would have happened if we took goons and fighters like Dupuis out of the sport.

Well as long as players have lumber in their hands slashes are going to happen and we know what you are getting at but it's a stretch to lump that in with players that are on the ice because of their fighting skills not hockey skills.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by nik-

It's too bad the NHL will take the cowards way out on this like they always do. They should drop the hammer on this and include a blanket statement regarding fighting after clean hits ... but they won't, and this crap will continue to go on and on.

That's what kills the argument of teams needing goons to police the sport because teams and players just aren't capable of properly policing themselves which is why fighting will eventually be taken out of the game. If fighting a player following a dirty hit is policing then what's fighting a player after a clean hit? Sorry but the inmates have proven they aren't capable of running the assylum.

[$ven27]

Originally Posted by Violator

I see nothing wrong with what Thornton did that's just bruins hockey.

No it's not. Bruins hockey is rough and tough, jumping a guy and beating him while hes defenseless isnt Boston hockey at all.

[Kjesse]

Christmas party kept me from watching the games yesterday.

I'm fairly shocked Neal did what he did. Not so surprised about Thornton, but more because a late or sucker punch is more normal than steering into a prone player to deliver a knee to the head. In fact I don't think I've ever seen that.

I think Neal should be punished severely. 20 games or more. The video shows he clearly targeted the head with his knee.... that has to be punished severely now to prevent it from happening again.

Unless Thornton's discipline record shows otherwise, he should get 3-5, based only on the video, I'm not aware of his discipline history.

Edit: catching up on the thread. The range of divergent opinions is interesting.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Neal will get 5 or less............I'm very, very interested to see how Shanahan spins the short suspension in his video.

Sad to see the NHL take such a soft stance on a dirty play like that.

[Magnum PEI]

Originally Posted by zamler

Here is the hit, watch the puck it does hit the stick and changes direction/wobbles.

This angle makes it look like a headshot.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

This angle makes it look like a headshot.

Not surprised in the least you would say that.

[TjRhythmic]

Originally Posted by zamler

Not surprised in the least you would say that.

His shoulder does make contact with the head.. although not entirely, he does hit the head

[zamler]

Contact with the head does not mean it's a headshot according to the rules.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

This angle makes it look like a headshot.

Originally Posted by TjRhythmic

His shoulder does make contact with the head.. although not entirely, he does hit the head

Its because Eriksson is hunched/bent over. The whole debate about the hit is ridiculous. People are constantly justifying the role of the enforcer, but here's a case for the physical dman. If he doesn't make those hits, he's out of the league. See how Orpik has him lined right up and Eriksson has his head down and no idea he's about to get smoked? That's a great play by Orpik. Its not dirty. Its not borderline. This is literally clean, hard hitting hockey, and frankly that play gets celebrated 99 times out of 100.

Regardless of whether you like or don't like that hit though, it doesn't justify Thornton's reaction. Even if that was an obvious dirty hit, you can't slew foot a guy and KO him because you want to fight and he doesn't.

[indes]

Pft blaming Orpik for that is a joke, good one Boston media!

How about : If Eriksson keeps his head up, we don't have any of the nastiness.

The only people that can be held accountable are Thornton and Neal. Gross.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

That hit was fine, you can't take that out of hockey or penalize it. He clearly wasn't targeting the head, he was zeroing in on Erikkson's shoulder. If someone wants to say Thornton went back after Orpik because his teammate got smoked by a solid check......fine. But don't say that he went after Orpik because of a dirty hit, because it just wasn't.

[Gator Mike]

So, here would be my biggest problem with the Orpik hit.

When did "Keep your head up", turn into "Keep your head up, or I'm going to put you in the hospital and/or possibly end your career and/or permanently degrade your quality of life"???

Even if the hit was "clean", when did NHLers lose enough respect for each other that they're out there trying to concuss opponents? It's not even something specific to Orpik as there are a ton of hits every night in the NHL that fall into this category.

I dunno. I just remember a guy like Ray Bourque playing 20+ years as a devastating body checker, and I don't ever remember him sending anyone to the hospital.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

This angle makes it look like a headshot.

Nah. Primary point of contact is still Eriksson's shoulder/chest. Unfortunately, when Loui suddenly became stationary, his brain rattled around. That's a great hit.