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By clover kicker (Thu Feb 22, 2007 at 10:56:02 PM EST) (all tags)
You don't see many line brawls in today's pro hockey, and goalie fights are even rarer.

I don't know if I've ever seen a goalie fight twice during the same brawl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49sqgSv5SE0



Emery did pretty well against the Sabre's heavyweight goon, I'd love to see them go again Saturday.

The best part is Emery's huuuuuge grin, he's enjoying himself so much that Peters' fist bouncing off his head doesn't bother him at all.

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goalie fight | 26 comments (26 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback
That link by Driusan (2.00 / 0) #1 Thu Feb 22, 2007 at 11:33:48 PM EST
Leads me to a "video not available" page, but searching YouTube for goalie fight lead me to this.

I think Cloutier might have spent too much time with Bertuzzi back in Vancouver.



humbug by clover kicker (2.00 / 0) #5 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 07:10:31 AM EST
if the coaches had thrown down by MillMan (4.00 / 1) #2 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 12:38:51 AM EST
that would have been the best fight ever.

When I'm imprisoned as an enemy combatant, will you blog about it?


I dislike it by debacle (1.00 / 1) #3 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 12:50:49 AM EST
Especially since 'my' team was one of the parties involved.

I dislike the fighting aspect of hockey, and I think that games like this are what keeps people from taking the NHL seriously. Here you've got two excellent teams resorting to having their goalies take swings (if you could call those swings) at each other instead of playing the game.

Being physical is one thing and a necessary part of the game, and yeah the hit in Drury was probably unnecessary, but it doesn't mean the entire Buffalo team needs to make a scene. There's a reason we can't stand up to physical teams and it's because we don't have any hard hitters.

Whatever the hell happened tonight I think is evidence that we can't compete with teams that are more well rounded when it comes to the physical aspect of the game. We can't control the neutral zone and we can't have the same presence in front of the net.

That's a sacrifice the coaching staff made in order to have the roster that we have.

It's stupid, really.


"I'm very responsive to certain stimuli, and pain is pretty much at the top of that list." - BadDoggie



maybe you should just watch basketball by clover kicker (2.00 / 0) #4 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 07:09:50 AM EST
There's nothing wrong with goalies taking swings. Emery certainly knows how to tussle, Biron admittedly not so much.

it doesn't mean the entire Buffalo team needs to make a scene

Then what's to stop someone running every skilled player on the team?

we can't compete with teams that are more well rounded when it comes to the physical aspect of the game
  1. The Sabres won that game
  2. Peters is one of the NHL's toughest enforcers


[ Parent ]

Emery kicked Biron's ass by debacle (2.00 / 0) #7 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 07:48:25 AM EST
The Sabres are an amazing team and It's not surprising that they won, but it's also not surprising that it was in the shootout. We didn't destroy Ottawa, we just barely eked out a win, again.

If Peters is such a great enforcer then he should have been the only one needed to take care of the Drury play. Just because a guy is big doesn't mean he can keep things in line. Look at Rob Ray. The guy isn't huge, but he was willing to put the hurt on people. Peters wasn't even the one that instigated the fight, it was Mair (who is in the middle of a good percentage of the Buffalo fights as well).

I'm not saying there shouldn't be fights in hockey. Sometimes it's nice to see someone whose been a dick all game get his jersey ripped off. I just think this kind of shit is out of hand, especially for an arguably clean play. The Sabres got frustrated because they can't protect their players (which is why they've had five injuries in the last few games) and took out out on an entire team instead of just the player who deserved a whacking, sending a pretty bad message:

If you hit one of our players, we're going to need to almost clear the bench to do anything about it, and our Canadian goalie can't fight for shit.


"I'm very responsive to certain stimuli, and pain is pretty much at the top of that list." - BadDoggie

[ Parent ]

Peters by clover kicker (2.00 / 0) #10 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 10:01:58 AM EST

If Peters is such a great enforcer then he should have been the only one needed to take care of the Drury play

Ruff could easily have waited to send Peters after Neil once he was back on the ice, but decided to goon the top line insted.


Look at Rob Ray. The guy isn't huge, but he was willing to put the hurt on people

Rob Ray played a while for the Sens, as you may recall.

My abiding mental image of Rob Ray is right before the Sens-Philly line brawl a couple years ago. Brashear absolutely pwned Ray, and he skated off to the dressing room, his face a mask of blood.

[ Parent ]

Ray was a big player 10 years ago by debacle (4.00 / 1) #23 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 11:14:47 PM EST
But the players keep on getting bigger.

"I'm very responsive to certain stimuli, and pain is pretty much at the top of that list." - BadDoggie

[ Parent ]

no disrespect to Ray, he was good for the Sens by clover kicker (2.00 / 0) #24 Sat Feb 24, 2007 at 12:16:31 PM EST
That was Ray's last season, I'm not sure what the age difference was. I think the Sens picked him up more for leadership then as a #1 enforcer.

Even the best fighters get pounded once and a while,  especially by Brashear, who has a bizarre, unique fighting style.

[ Parent ]

Bizarre, unique? by debacle (2.00 / 0) #25 Sat Feb 24, 2007 at 09:49:21 PM EST
The guy is fucking huge, and he fights like Mike Tyson.

"I'm very responsive to certain stimuli, and pain is pretty much at the top of that list." - BadDoggie

[ Parent ]

huggy Brashear by clover kicker (2.00 / 0) #26 Sat Feb 24, 2007 at 10:10:59 PM EST
Most guys stand way off, Brashear likes to get in really close.

[ Parent ]

Driusan you cunt [nt] by debacle (4.00 / 1) #6 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 07:28:12 AM EST


"I'm very responsive to certain stimuli, and pain is pretty much at the top of that list." - BadDoggie

[ Parent ]

Emery by ChiefHoser (2.00 / 0) #8 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 08:33:15 AM EST
He used to fight all the time in the OHL and he is a self proclaimed amateur boxer. I think, when he noticed Biron wasn't as much into it as Emergy, he was excited when Peters came over.

All in all, the fighting was a bit stupid. I think Ruff should be tossed for a game or two for sending out his biggest goons against ottawa's stars with the set goal to start fights (Ruff admitted this in the press conference). To me fights have a place in hockey, but not fights that are started like this.
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Chiefhoser


I think sending out the goon squad is legit by clover kicker (2.00 / 0) #9 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 09:41:15 AM EST
I just wish the Sens had dressed McGrattan, we would have seen some real fireworks then.

[ Parent ]

McGrattan by ChiefHoser (4.00 / 1) #11 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 10:18:21 AM EST
That is true, I'd bet my life savings (meagre though they be) that unless the NHL comes down on Ruff and Murry, McGratton will be out Saturday.
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Chiefhoser
[ Parent ]

Yeh it was a filthy hit that started it by cam (2.00 / 0) #12 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 11:35:07 AM EST
and then filthy play and coaching followed it.

cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic
[ Parent ]

original hit by ChiefHoser (4.00 / 1) #13 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 11:58:36 AM EST
It was (from the camera angles I saw) a clean hit. The elbow wasn't up, Neil didn't leave his feet or change direction as he initiated the hit. The fact that drury had his head down is what made the hit bad. Whether or not hits like it should be part of the game is a whole other issue, they are right now.

If Ruff can't take it, maybe he should be coaching in another league.
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Chiefhoser
[ Parent ]

he hit him in the head with his shoulder by cam (4.00 / 1) #14 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 01:31:18 PM EST
The head is not a valid target and anyone hitting is responsible for for avoiding the head. Ice Hockey players are particularly filthy in that area and given way too much latitude for filthy hits in the face or head.

cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic
[ Parent ]

(Comment Deleted) by ChiefHoser (2.00 / 0) #15 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 01:37:24 PM EST

This comment has been deleted by ChiefHoser



[ Parent ]

Hit by ChiefHoser (4.00 / 1) #16 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 01:47:59 PM EST
I would agree that the rules do not provide adequate protection for people in that situation. More and more so, as the fitness/strength levels go up along with the speed of the game. That being said, these rules are not new, the possibility of being hit like that has existed for many years now. If you expect to play in the NHL, you unfortunately have to prepare yourself for said possibility.

I don't think that ice hockey players are particularly filthy in said area. I think it is a reflection of the style of hitting within the game that takes place at the speed and frequency it does. No other sport comes to mind with hitting like this at the momentum ice hockey is played.

As to responsibility to the hitter to avoid the head, I also agree, but only to a point. When throwing a hit on somebody coming across ice, like Drury did, you don't expect them put/leave their head down for long and by the time you realize that they aren't going to do that it is too late.

To change gears though, if Neil had a reputation for dirty hits then perhaps my above argument is invalid. I'm thinking people like Suter, Tucker, or Belak (there are many other, these are just the first that came to mind).

---

I hope that was intelligible, I am too busy to be careful with my wording.
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Chiefhoser
[ Parent ]

Well there is rules by cam (2.00 / 0) #17 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 03:26:43 PM EST
but you don't see the likes of Steve Yzerman throwing hits like that, and he is a tough hard-nosed player who knows how to win. He manages to do it without stretching the rules either, has this thing, like ... respect, for the game and his opponents.

cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic
[ Parent ]

Stevie Y by ChiefHoser (2.00 / 0) #18 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 03:43:48 PM EST
Knew how to hit, but he never threw any major hits. That wasn't part of his game, so I don't see how you can really compare the two.

You're saying that out of respect for the other players you shouldn't play the game the way it is proscribed in the rule book? If this had happened to an unskilled player the only comment that would have been made would be that the player obviously doesn't have the skill level to play in the league. You have to protect your stars, but you can't make them exempt from the rules. Should the rules be change? Probably, yes, but to what exactly?
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Chiefhoser
[ Parent ]

By major you mean by cam (2.00 / 0) #19 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 03:52:24 PM EST
where he smacked someone in the face with his shoulder pads, or boarded someone into the glass from behind?

cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic
[ Parent ]

Apples and Oranges by ChiefHoser (2.00 / 0) #20 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 04:18:35 PM EST
I would never place boarding into the glass into the same category as hits like the one we are discussing. Hits from behind should never be allowed and I doubt you'll find many people that would disagree.

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Chiefhoser
[ Parent ]

Steve Y vs Chris Neil by clover kicker (2.00 / 0) #22 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 06:04:18 PM EST
Now there's a contrast in style/skill, they might as well not be playing the same sport.

Neil currently leads the NHL in hits, that's what he's there for.

He wasn't trying to injure the guy... knock the wind out of him maybe, injure no. If Drury's helmet had stayed on there wouldn't have been any problem with that hit.

[ Parent ]

player also have to keep their head up -nt- by clover kicker (2.00 / 0) #21 Fri Feb 23, 2007 at 06:00:58 PM EST


[ Parent ]

goalie fight | 26 comments (26 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback