Rinaldo...2 games coming? (Got 4 games)

[B21]

Nope, not similar at all.  Rinaldo got hit with the longest suspension despite having one of the least vicious hits.  He was tracking the puck,  Ruhwedel got to it first, and Rinaldo changed his track into Ruhwedel, er, Ruhwedel's head.  But, look at the last few suspensions here.  Most are far more deliberate and dangerous, yet none were four games.

 

The Candiens' Murry throws a deliberate elbow to the jaw of Mike Kostka: 3 games

Jackets' Comeau drives Blake Smith's head into the glass: 2 games

Kings' Nolan throws a haymaker to the jaw of Joensuu, who was being held by the linesman and completely unsuspecting: 1 game.

 

 

Shanahan's agenda against the Flyers is reinforced.

 

Are you actually comparing Doug Murray's elbow to Kostka and his 3 game suspension to Rinaldo's head hunting on Ruhwedel and 4 game suspension?

 

Let's see. Doug Murray.  8 year career.  No prior suspesnions.  Reputation for clean play.  3 games for deliberalety targeting the head.

 

Zac Rinaldo. 3rd season (2nd full season).  Now 2 suspensions. 2 fines.  Handful of other questionable incidents for which he received no discipline. 4 games for deliberately targeting the head (or did you not notice him leaving his feet and throwing the arm at Ruhwedel's head?). 4 games.

 

Yup - the league sure has it out for poor ol' Zac and the Flyers.

 

That act is so old.

[B21]

Let's not forget, Cooke came into the league at a time when Scott Stevens was considered a clean player.  You used to be able to get away with murder in the NHL until they actually started to pay attention to the fact that it hits to the head are very dangerous and can end careers (who would have thought it!)  I find it hard to believe that Cooke woke up one morning and just decided he was going to play like the ultimate douche bag and target players' heads.  Lets not forget the hit to Savard that went unpunished.  Hell, let's not forget the Mike Richards hit on Booth that went unpunished, just to highlight the fact that you could get away with murder in the NHL back then.

 

You are extrapolating Rinaldo's possible suspensions going forward in his career, while I'm speculating that Cooke may have had more suspensions if the NHL was calling these hits back then.   Only time will tell if Rinaldo becomes another Matt Cooke.  Cooke was pretty bad for a few straight years there!  He had to be lectured by Mario and was told to change his ways or else.  Players around the league and on his own team were ripping him, saying he has no respect for other players' safety and the guy had to go so far a to apologize and vow to change his ways.  Cooke was a major issue for the NHL.  Rinaldo is just not at that point yet, but if he has more games like he did against Buffalo, then I will concede that he is becoming another Matt Cooke, at which point I will hope the Flyers get rid of him.  

 

I'm certainly not defending his latest hit and I fully agree that a suspension was deserved in this case.    

 

Great post. 

[Mad Dog]

Let's not forget, Cooke came into the league at a time when Scott Stevens was considered a clean player.  

 

I don't want to change the subject of the thread, but Scott Stevens *was* a clean player. You can say his hits were vicious, nasty and the outcomes of those hits were unfortunate, yes. I won’t argue with that for even three seconds.  But in 99% of the time, he was not assessed even minor penalties. He acted within the rules. One can argue those rules may have been interpreted differently today, but that's neither here or there. I hate to be blatant about this, but to me it's pretty simple: if you are not whistled for the penalty, as hard as the hit may look like, it's a clean hit. And I am sure has Stevens played on the Flyers, the Flyers fans were singing an entirely different tune.

Edited April 8, 2014 by Mad Dog

[Adamflyers]

I don't want to change the subject of the thread, but Scott Stevens *was* a clean player. You can say his hits were vicious, nasty and the outcomes of those hits were unfortunate, yes. I won’t argue with that for even three seconds.  But in 99% of the time, he was not assessed even minor penalties. He acted within the rules. One can argue those rules may have been interpreted differently today, but that's neither here or there. I hate to be blatant about this, but to me it's pretty simple: if you are not whistled for the penalty, as hard as the hit may look like, it's a clean hit. And I am sure has Stevens played on the Flyers, the Flyers fans were singing an entirely different tune.

Yes, thats the point...back in those days, hard hits that targeted the head were not called the way they are today.  He was considered a clean player back then because he was within the rules.  I find it hard to beleive that some of those hits of his would not have at least warrented a review in today's game.  I'm not disagreeing that if Stevens was a Flyer player, we would have loved him!  I loved when Richards layed out Booth, because at the time, it was not a suspendable hit.  It doesn't mean it wasn't a vicious hit that is now a suspendable offense. 

 

Not really sure why this is turning into a referendum on Scott Stevens.  I brought up his name to make a valid point as to why Cooke MAY not have gotten into trouble until after these types of hits were called more tightly.  Truth of the matter is, Stevens didn't shy away from head contact or targeting a defenseless player. 

[murraycraven]

Phlfly, I can't understand you with the hammer and sickle in your mouth.

Lol... Fat finger on a small phone rux!

[canoli]

Not really sure why this is turning into a referendum on Scott Stevens.

 

point of parliamentary procedure! The issue here is not whether we broke a few rules, or took a few liberties with our female party guests—we did. ... I put it to you, Greg: isn't this an indictment of our entire American society?

 

dk why your comment made me think of this but... there it is fwiw.

[Adamflyers]

point of parliamentary procedure! The issue here is not whether we broke a few rules, or took a few liberties with our female party guests—we did. ... I put it to you, Greg: isn't this an indictment of our entire American society?

 

dk why your comment made me think of this but... there it is fwiw.

You can never go wrong quoting Animal House!  And now you have me grinning like a fool at my desk as people walk by wondering what the hell is wrong with me!

[radoran]

point of parliamentary procedure! The issue here is not whether we broke a few rules, or took a few liberties with our female party guests—we did. ... I put it to you, Greg: isn't this an indictment of our entire American society?

 

dk why your comment made me think of this but... there it is fwiw.

 

 

Shouldn't we blame the whole league. And if we blame the whole league, isn't this an indictment of the fans in general? And if we blame the fans, is it not an indictment of our entire American society?

 

Well, you can do what you want to the Flyers, but I'm not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth the entire United States of America!

 

[B21]

This thread just got a heluva lot better.

 

So does this mean Rinaldo is now on Double Secret Probation?

[canoli]

So does this mean Rinaldo is now on Double Secret Probation?

 

i guess it does. A few more dumbass hits like that and he'll be saying:

 

...Christ. 3 years in the NHL down the drain. Might as well join the fkn Peace Corps.

[flyercanuck]

Time to unveil..............................THE DEATHMOBILE!!!!!!!

[JackStraw]

[canoli]

"You can take your thumb out my ass any time now, Carmine"

 

[flyercanuck]

@canoli

 

 That movie was sheer brilliance from the getgo, and never let you down throughout!

 

 And does that photo have any connection with the return of Downie?

[B21]

i guess it does. A few more dumbass hits like that and he'll be saying:

 

...Christ. 3 years in the NHL down the drain. Might as well join the fkn Peace Corps.

 

"You guys playing cards?"

[ruxpin]

Lol... Fat finger on a small phone rux!

 

 

I know the feeling but just couldn't resist.

[Polaris922]

Yes, thats the point...back in those days, hard hits that targeted the head were not called the way they are today.  He was considered a clean player back then because he was within the rules.  I find it hard to beleive that some of those hits of his would not have at least warrented a review in today's game.  I'm not disagreeing that if Stevens was a Flyer player, we would have loved him!  I loved when Richards layed out Booth, because at the time, it was not a suspendable hit.  It doesn't mean it wasn't a vicious hit that is now a suspendable offense. 

 

Not really sure why this is turning into a referendum on Scott Stevens.  I brought up his name to make a valid point as to why Cooke MAY not have gotten into trouble until after these types of hits were called more tightly.  Truth of the matter is, Stevens didn't shy away from head contact or targeting a defenseless player. 

 

I respectfully disagree.  Stevens' hits did not target the head, and his primary points of contact were always shoulders and chests.  I can say the same about Cooke UNTIL the Savard incident, which caused a rewriting of the rules, and rightfully so.  He was a pest.. an agitator... a major pain in the a@@ for anybody that played against him.  It made him effective and got him a bigger paycheck to come to Pittsburgh to play.  Unfortunately, it also went to his head, so to speak.  He really started to get reckless.  That's when the Savard hit happened.  His earlier career he played pretty clean.  He was an agitator and people trash talked him for it, but really a lot of what he did in those days was NOT suspendable, then or now.  It wasn't until he started going nuts here that you saw the real Matt Cooke coming through, and thankfully he's reeled that in.  

 

I really do see a lot of Cooke in Rinaldo.  I know it sucks to hear as a Flyers fan that one of your boys, who can and does bring so much energy to your lineup, can be viewed that way.  BUt reality is simple... that was Cooke's role too for years, and he went too far.  Rinaldo is in the same role, doing the same thing, and now he's getting the same suspensions, just earlier on.  The two are very very similar.