Comments on: Max Pacioretty receives three-game Shanaban

By: bsputnik

bsputnik — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:21:15 +0000

I don’t necessarily agree with this suspension, but I like these videos that the NHL puts out. At least it gives a clear explanation on WHY these penalties are given out. I point to the NFL where there just seems to be some random fine generator laying around headquarters.

By: bsputnik

bsputnik — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:15:52 +0000

The Pens didn’t play last night…

By: michiganhockey11

michiganhockey11 — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:00:59 +0000

Just caught the hit and it looked to me the Pacioretty initiated contact with Letang’s shoulder and it rolled over into his face.

By: michiganhockey11

michiganhockey11 — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:44:14 +0000

Or wear a Crosby jersey-with his blatant elbow last night. What, no suspension for that?

By: michiganhockey11

michiganhockey11 — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:38:57 +0000

Never said Letang was hunched over. Just saying that it can be very difficult to make split second choice. I also would have figured that 2 games would have been sufficient.

My only question is this: what happens when a defenseman steps up to take the body, sees the guys’ head is down or is about to make head contact, bails on the hit, guy goes in alone and scores? What’s the defenseman’s excuse?

By: miketoasty

miketoasty — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:18:49 +0000

First off if you watch the video Letang was not hunched over, he took a shot with his head up, and body mostly straight. Pacioretty should have either bailed or went for the full on body check, yes this is a fast paced game and therefor you need to make fast paced decisions. You can’t let someone elbow another player like that and basically say oh well just because they differ in size, you will almost never see two players of the exact same height going at each other.

Also, I believe the 3 game suspension was a little much, I would have expected 2 or less being that he is not a repeat offender.

By: michiganhockey11

michiganhockey11 — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:49:51 +0000

Doesn’t want head contact, that’s fine and dandy.

Expecting a player to adjust in fraction of second…not very probable.

By: michiganhockey11

michiganhockey11 — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:38:31 +0000

As a tall player, it can be very hard to readjust and lower yourself to hit a shorter opponent in the chest when he lowers his head/looks down at the puck. How tall is Letang? I’m 6’4 w/o skates. Try getting low on a player that’s say 5’10 while he’s hunched over looking at the puck while he’s going thru the neutral zone. League wants to get rid of head shots, (thart’s fine) they should go after the more aggregious stuff coming from elbows, charging and late hits first. Rule of thumb was always to keep your head up. It’s going to take a while for guys in the league to try and hit the brakes or avoid a making contact with a guy with his head down.

By: cshearing

cshearing — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:52:47 +0000

3 games is perfectly fine. Was definitely avoidable; Pacioretty even apologized afterwards, so anyone whining about “ruining the game” really has no basis.

By: daveydawg

daveydawg — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:31:16 +0000

what a dirty hit. Just like Matt Cooke.

By: taytay099

taytay099 — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:58:22 +0000

No, you can still hit someone cutting across the middle, but make sure the principle point of contact isn’t the head. Did you even listen to Shanny’s explanation? He explains that every player understands that they will get hit doing what Letang did, but the head can’t be a principle point of contact. That is clearly illegal.

By: cliverush

cliverush — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:56:12 +0000

Hitting a player on the head or face is a dangerous situation that the league wants to stop. Sometimes the speed of the game just make certain situations impossible to avoid. I thought he went for the hit and went up high with intention. This type of play was normal 20 years ago. The team would retaliate, not the league.

By: iownyou2

iownyou2 — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:42:07 +0000

So in less than a second you expect this guy to go through all of your cute little explanation in his head? This just proves the stupidity of Shanahan’s stupid fines. What did you expect him to duck all the way down so that his shoulder doesn’t hit Letang’s face?? You can clearly see no extension of the elbow from Pacioretty this is a completely legal hit and if Letang hadn’t broken his nose there would be no fine/suspension.

For the record im a completely neutral fan (Buffalo) and I just hate seeing this idiot ruin the game.

By: pastabelly

pastabelly — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:42:07 +0000

Funny how it turns out that Ryan Miller didn’t have a concussion after all. Stop your whining.

By: pens87

pens87 — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:13:05 +0000

Just before the hit he clearly turns to the right, putting himself at greater risk of striking Letang’s head. He should have turned left and taken the full body. Now I will also say this (and this is coming from a Pens fan)…if you watch the video in the link above, you will notice that Letang changed his path at just before he shot, he was heading in a straighter path to the goal, then right at about :20 seconds, he turns slightly to the right, towards Pacioretty. So it is entirely possible that Pacioretty thought Letang was going to stay on his former path and not curve towards him, in which case it probably would have been a clean hit. Regardless of this, when he made contact with Letang he does not try to soften the blow at all (and I mean…he is a hockey player so I don’t expect him too) and throws his shoulder into Letangs face. I was expecting a 1-2 gamer, but I suppose Shanahan thought otherwise.

By: maxl49

maxl49 — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:06:09 +0000

valid point, but i’m not sure that avoiding violence by, you know, not committing violence is still thought in that league !

By: gallyhatch

gallyhatch — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:51:27 +0000

That, or he could have not elbowed Letang in the face breaking his nose. That might have avoided this situation also.

Maybe.

By: maxl49

maxl49 — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:24:07 +0000

All of this could have been avoided with a simple precaution : Always wear a Bruins’ jersey when you try to injure other players !

By: govtminion

govtminion — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:21:44 +0000

Clearly a board of inquiry needs to find out if this was a criminal act.

By: scotloucks

scotloucks — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 01:14:31 +0000

So it is now OK to cut into the middle with your head down …. especially if you are short.

Waita go Shanahan, lets just make it a no hit game and be done with it.

btw: Leaf fan, hate the habs.