It's nice to see the league take it somewhat serious for once. Usually that kind of crap lands you a nice one game suspension(i tend to remember a blatenet elbow to the head from jiri fischer in the playoffs many moons ago)that the player doesn't give a rats ass about.
Nice to see the league made the right call. Not surprising that once again a play that landed a player under suspension was not penalized by the on ice officials. NHL officiating is awful.
Last edited by Golden Foppa: 03-12-2008 at 12:18 AM.
Is there anything that happened that will have the Thrasher fans screeching at us? It's been one-after-another lately Columbus, Vancouver, LA, Dallas. give us some damn peace!
Is there anything that happened that will have the Thrasher fans screeching at us? It's been one-after-another lately Columbus, Vancouver, LA, Dallas. give us some damn peace!
I gotta say that I was fairly happy that there wasn't a cacophony of voices from our end on this thing. Too often in these types of situations you get Homer Wars on the forum where one side is adamant that said player deserves 50 games while the other is equally convinced that the guy is cleaner than a nun. For the most part we kept our dignity, didn't manufacture outrage. That makes the protests of assorted Dallas fanboys all the sweeter.
Just goes to show how brutal the refs have been this year. Ott didn't even get a penalty for a suspendable hit...just for fighting Salei and we ended up on the PK on that play.
I gotta say that I was fairly happy that there wasn't a cacophony of voices from our end on this thing. Too often in these types of situations you get Homer Wars on the forum where one side is adamant that said player deserves 50 games while the other is equally convinced that the guy is cleaner than a nun. For the most part we kept our dignity, didn't manufacture outrage. That makes the protests of assorted Dallas fanboys all the sweeter.
Frankly I think the Avs team and our fans have gotten used to it. Go back and look at how bad the whining was when Moore drilled Naslund (granted they whine about everything, meanwhile hardly a peep about Forsberg being put out longer by Ruutu.
I think it was the years of Brain Burke not wanting to get off his fat ass in the league office.
Dallas play by play guy martyring Ott. Also there's the opinion being put forth that as Leopold is prone to injury the suspension was excessive. Very, very bizarre.
Dallas play by play guy martyring Ott. Also there's the opinion being put forth that as Leopold is prone to injury the suspension was excessive. Very, very bizarre.
With respect to this hit? Martyring on what basis?
Dallas can crow all they want, it wont change a thing
the bottom line is Ott has had a rep of a somewhat dirty player while in the NHL and that alone might have been the reason for the length suspension. Ott should have not thrown the hit the way he did and the penalty in my opinion is fair but could have been worst as leopold did not have the puck when Ott hit him.
With respect to this hit? Martyring on what basis?
That Ott had never been suspended before. There's not many games left in the season. Punishment was way too excessive. Didn't recall the hit. He had to go looking for it. The more disturbing part of it was the suggestion that since Leopold is an oft-injured player, the suspension is too harsh. Either way there was enough said to encourage the feeling of "unjust punishment" from the Dallas camp. Perhaps Martyr is too strong of a word, but others aren't springing to mind.
To specifically answer your question though: The basis is that Leopold is injured frequently so the suspension is too harsh, there's not many games left in the season so the suspension is too harsh, Ott has never been suspended before so the suspension is too harsh, the inuendo that because the play was not really obvious to him and there was no penalty on the play the suspension is too harsh.
I don't think it would be unreasonable to extrapolate that he feels the suspension is unwarranted.
Personally, the whole angle of oft-injured players getting injured on plays means that no suspension or supplemental punishment is needed is kind of disgusting.
Last edited by weezman: 03-12-2008 at 01:42 PM.
Reason: bad spelling skillz
To specifically answer your question though: The basis is that Leopold is injured frequently so the suspension is too harsh, there's not many games left in the season so the suspension is too harsh, Ott has never been suspended before so the suspension is too harsh, the inuendo that because the play was not really obvious to him and there was no penalty on the play the suspension is too harsh.
yeah Leo's been injured but this ain't Eric Lindros we're talking about...I don't seem to remember a concussion injury so far while playing for the Avs or hearing about one while he was on the Flames. Their argument on that...just kinda goes nowhere
I won't say the suspension is harsh but I'll say its lengthy...just depends on how you look at it. tho my opinion will change if this is the norm for blatant head shots which I'm all in favor of (the penalty, not the head shots)
I don't think Ott is a overly dirty player, I think he is a lot like Lappy, always talking and getting under the opponents skin willing to drop the gloves when need be, he would make a good Av. I have looked at the hit on Leopold several times and while I do think he came up high, I also thought that there have been a lot worse hits and the guilty player has gotten a lot less, 3 games seems excesive. This is Ott's first suspension, so he is not a serial offender.
Leopold has proven himself to be a bit fragile, he will probably sit out a month for an injury most would come back at a week, but thats OK, with everyone healthy, he is the scratch anyway.
Ott still needs to pay a price, as does Johnson and Klee of the Kings. I hope the Avs are getting tired of having their best players run, seems to be they are not making their opponents pay a price.
yeah, Lappy ran him alright, but no penalty, no review...other words clean hit, a beautiful sight to see! An Av running any Wing is what I live for and running your future Hall of Famer makes it even better. Still, Downey did his job...so did Lappy. No way you can accuse him of being a dirty player anymore than Ott is. You Wing fans amaze me.
Last edited by Ensane: 03-13-2008 at 11:19 AM.
Reason: Flaming
