Two hits any suspensions?

[hf101]

First in game 1 with the Kings and Chicago. Bolland appears to leave his feet as he makes contact with Richards chin. No penalty was called on the play.

Second in game 1 with the Penguins and Bruins Cooke is given a game misconduct for his hit on McQuaid.

Do either of these hits deserve a suspension?

[Phillygrump]

It depends on where Shanahan's dart lands.

[sarsippius]

I won't even begin to speculate on suspension or no, trying to understand Shanny's rulings is like trying to understand rassling refereeing. But clearly these are the types of hits the league has targeted to eliminate.

Bolland looks like he's getting ready to launch and tries to abort, still gets his weight high and comes off one skate at the moment of impact or a microsecond before. Shot to the head.

Cooke gets a defenseless player facing the glass right between the shoulder blades. A foot from the boards. I can't stand that piece of human garbage, so I won't even pretend to have an objective opinion. But nice to him up to his old tricks. Cue the Pens defenders....

[ZeZel25]

Even though Cooke is a cancer to the league, I dont think he gets suspended, even though he should.. he CLEARLY could see the name and numbers of the player..Bolland I dont think gets suspended either

[Samifan]

No way "Uncle Gary" allows anything negative happen to the Penguins at this point in the playoffs. Watch the amount of Penguins PP's increase as the series goes on, especially late in games if the pens are trailing. I am sure Cindy and Uncle Gary had dinner after the game last night to ensure the series goes a certain way

[KjellShocked]

If we are being fair, gotta count the Marchand hit, too. From behind. Defenseless player.

[ZeZel25]

I won't even begin to speculate on suspension or no, trying to understand Shanny's rulings is like trying to understand rassling refereeing. But clearly these are the types of hits the league has targeted to eliminate.

Bolland looks like he's getting ready to launch and tries to abort, still gets his weight high and comes off one skate at the moment of impact or a microsecond before. Shot to the head.

Cooke gets a defenseless player facing the glass right between the shoulder blades. A foot from the boards. I can't stand that piece of human garbage, so I won't even pretend to have an objective opinion. But nice to him up to his old tricks. Cue the Pens defenders....

"Cooke gets a defenseless player facing the glass right between the shoulder blades. A foot from the boards. I can't stand that piece of human garbage, so I won't even pretend to have an objective opinion. But nice to him up to his old tricks. Cue the Pens defenders...."

Somehow, someway I hope Boston, who I also dont like, takes Cooke out for good! This clown has a 14 year career of being a cowardly cheap shot artist, that Mario always cries we don't need in the league! Can the guy actually play? Yeah but he chooses to target the heads of players so he deserves whatever he gets, and then some

[yave1964]

Bolland on Richards: Targets head leaes feet

Cooke on McQuaid: bone crunching boarding hit

Of the two Bollands was by far the worst, IMHO (And I am rooting for the Hawks) defenseless opponent, leaves feet, targets head. I have watched enough Shanahan calls to know these are his three nono's. Bad non call, gotta be a suspension.

Cooke had plenty of time to line McQuaid up in his sights and run him, this was not a three feet away hockey play, this was a guy who xhose to run his oppononet hard in to the board. Suspendable too but not to the level of what Boland did. Of ours the Penguins have depth sitting in the press box chomping at the bit more than able to step in and the Hawks don't.

[canoli]

what is with all these cries for suspending players lately? Seems like every big hit - "will he, won't he?" - enough already.

IMHO Cooke should've got a 2 min minor for boarding that's all. A Game Misconduct? Come on.... he didn't leave his feet, didn't run him from 40 feet away...he just crashed the numbers, which is called Boarding = 2 minute minor. End of story.

Bolland's is a little more problematic because he clearly jumps into Richards - or tries to.. But he ends up so twisted and off-balance that he hits him with his back (!). How goofy was that? Richards got tagged, no doubt, and Bolland should've been called for something on that play. But...oh well...play on!

No suspensions for crying out loud - not for hockey plays. Guys should get suspended for super-dumb stuff that's out of context of the game, not hockey plays gone wrong (like Bolland)...this a damn fine sport and it's a rough one...no punks need apply. And if Mary Crosby has a problem with that he should drop the gloves with Chara next time, maybe he'll give the big man some trouble...anything's possible!

[Polaris922]

I agree with @canoli on the Cooke hit. If you watch the video...McQuaid turns and looks right at Cooke coming three feet away, and THEN turns far to his left to make sure his back is to Cooke. THAT is the same kind of hit we've discussed here several times about the player being hit knowing if he just turns a little at the right time the hit becomes from behind. They use their arms to brace against the boards and enjoy the power play.

I think it was a crap call because McQuaid looks at him and CHOOSES to get hit that way. The rules are pretty clear about the person getting hit having some culpability if they intentionally place themselves in that position. *shrugs*

[mojo1917]

The McQuaid hit was a hard hockey play , it was boarding like Canoli said 2 minutes nothing to see here...McQuaid saw Cooke , knew he was going to get hit and made the hockey play anyway, It's hockey. It was unfortunate McQuaid was shaken up.

[pilldoc]

My 2 cents. The only "suspendable" hit was Bolland on Richards. Simply because he left his feet. Look I hate Cooke as much as every other Flyer fan on this board, however, the penalty was a bit excessive. Boarding ..yes no doubt but at least McQuaid's body seemed to go up into the boards.

Marchand on the other hand thought looked a bit worse. Neal's head and body seemed to go down into the boards. (Now if neal put his head down not knowing was coming is debatable.)

(sorry my screen shot did not work out) around the 1:01 mark in slow mo you can see Neal's body be the way I described below.

But look at this screen shot, it looks like Neal's body is in a position of being up ice and perpendicular to the boards instead of parallel to the boards. It is just the way Marchand hit him that he flew into the boards the way he did. Text book boarding. yup. Suspendable. No way. If you do then Bollard and Cooke need to be suspended to. Don't see it happening, but then again we are talking about Shanny and decisions are based on the way the planets line up any given night.

Edited June 2, 2013 by pilldoc

[Polaris922]

Boston coach Claude Julien conceded McQuaid “put himself in a vulnerable position” – and Cooke followed through.

[pilldoc]

If we are being fair, gotta count the Marchand hit, too. From behind. Defenseless player.

here is the screen shot I'm talking about. It looks like IMO Neal's body is heading up ice and not parallel to the boards. Regardless it was a penalty and I think a non-suspendable offense.

Edited June 2, 2013 by pilldoc

[pilldoc]

Boston coach Claude Julien conceded McQuaid “put himself in a vulnerable position” – and Cooke followed through.

no argument here....agree looking at the 2 hits, Cooke's looks far less severe and did not deserve the game misconduct.

[nossagog]

Didn't like the hit on Richards. Looks to me like Bolland is clearly coming off the ice to hit to the head. Nothing being called was not correct.

Cooke, penalty by rep. I'm okay with the two, But 5 and a game? I wonder if Chara told McQuaid to go back down for affect when he was going to skate off?

Marchand on Neal, 2 was sufficient.

I'll go with "All for one and one for all". If you suspend ANY of them, you better suspend ALL of them.

[B21]

what is with all these cries for suspending players lately? Seems like every big hit - "will he, won't he?" - enough already.

IMHO Cooke should've got a 2 min minor for boarding that's all. A Game Misconduct? Come on.... he didn't leave his feet, didn't run him from 40 feet away...he just crashed the numbers, which is called Boarding = 2 minute minor. End of story.

Bolland's is a little more problematic because he clearly jumps into Richards - or tries to.. But he ends up so twisted and off-balance that he hits him with his back (!). How goofy was that? Richards got tagged, no doubt, and Bolland should've been called for something on that play. But...oh well...play on!

No suspensions for crying out loud - not for hockey plays. Guys should get suspended for super-dumb stuff that's out of context of the game, not hockey plays gone wrong (like Bolland)...this a damn fine sport and it's a rough one...no punks need apply. And if Mary Crosby has a problem with that he should drop the gloves with Chara next time, maybe he'll give the big man some trouble...anything's possible!

Wow. If you were here, I'd hug you. Well said.

Edit: Except for the Crosby part. No one's perfect.

Edited June 2, 2013 by B21

[B21]

I agree with @canoli on the Cooke hit. If you watch the video...McQuaid turns and looks right at Cooke coming three feet away, and THEN turns far to his left to make sure his back is to Cooke. THAT is the same kind of hit we've discussed here several times about the player being hit knowing if he just turns a little at the right time the hit becomes from behind. They use their arms to brace against the boards and enjoy the power play.

I think it was a crap call because McQuaid looks at him and CHOOSES to get hit that way. The rules are pretty clear about the person getting hit having some culpability if they intentionally place themselves in that position. *shrugs*

Even Julien said McQuaid put himself in a vulnerable position.

I am waiting for the haters to site Jack Edwards' take on it.

[B21]

The McQuaid hit was a hard hockey play , it was boarding like Canoli said 2 minutes nothing to see here...McQuaid saw Cooke , knew he was going to get hit and made the hockey play anyway, It's hockey. It was unfortunate McQuaid was shaken up.

Agree 100%. Definitely boarding. Definitely a penalty. I really don't have an issue with the major (Cooke made his bed....). But misconduct? Bit much. And if there is a suspension? Then Marchand better get one, too.

[mojo1917]

I am waiting for the haters to site Jack Edwards' take on it.

i don't sports hate anyone enough to ever side with that Jackhole.

[canoli]

Wow. If you were here, I'd hug you. Well said.

Edit: Except for the Crosby part. No one's perfect.

haha! I knew you'd appreciate that - a little reality check re: Matt Cooke. Like you said later, maybe even a 5-min major based on reputation - fine, it's Matt Cooke = automatic major when normally it's a minor. But to throw on a game misconduct for that? That's "over the rainbow" territory right there...just dumb.

As for Crosby... as you know Flyers' fans are bound by sworn duty to hate that litle fkr always, regardless. But man he sure does make it easy!

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

I don't think any of the his were suspension worthy.

Bolland DID NOT leave his feet. If you disagree, watch the video (again). It looks like he is off balance but his left foot is on the ice through the contact. There is no difference in this hit than all the Kronwall hits.

Cooke's hit was a borderline 5 and a game, probably should only have been a 2 min penalty. McQuaid came back in the game so there was no injury (using Shanny's criteria).

Marchand's hit...give me a break. Not even close to a suspension. The hit wasn't perpendicular to the boards, it was angled...almost parallel. Neal had the exact same hit behind the net on Seidenberg earlier in the game and didn't get a penalty.

[pilldoc]

Marchand's hit...give me a break. Not even close to a suspension. The hit wasn't perpendicular to the boards, it was angled...almost parallel. Neal had the exact same hit behind the net on Seidenberg earlier in the game and didn't get a penalty.

That's what I said...or tried to. Neal's body was almost perpendicular to the boards (meaning he was facing up ice), which would make the hit almost parallel. Agree the hit was more of an angle.

[flyerrod]

Cooke's hit was stupid but not suspension worthy. As several people on hear have already said, he put himself in that position. Bollard leaves his skates and targets Richards head. THAT is a suspension worthy hit. Marchand on Neal was pure dive by Neal looking to draw a penalty. Watch him look immediately to the ref for the call following the "hit". I don't even think Marchand's hit was penalty worthy and i really hate that diving prick....

[Polaris922]

Neal had no idea Marchand was there, and hit the boards head first. To say that wasn't a hit on the numbers and drove him into the boards is a sign of either blindness or just plain hatin'. I felt two was appropriate but that the hit was actually worse than Cooke's so he should've gotten the five for consistency more than any illusion a five was deserved for either.

The league has chosen not to even address the Cooke hit which tells you even goofy Shanahan admits it was the wrong call. League pretending it never happened. Done is done... Bring on game two!