"We won't fight your battles for you, Sabres"

by go_buff on Nov 15, 2011 3:04 AM EST

Part of me feels like this is Shanahan saying “We won’t fight your battles for you Sabres.”
It was a dirty hit. Borderline intent to injure. He should have gotten something
by Philaster on Nov 14, 2011 1:24 PM PST

After reading Philaster's comment, I was thinking about it all during the game.

And, my thinking is this: if that's the way Shanahan feels, fine, but . . .

In recent history, has the league EVER "fought a battle" for the Sabres?

Consider:

- Kaleta head butts Jacob Voracek, who stays in the game, and gets a four game suspension . . . and yet . . . last season, CHI's Niklas Hjalmarsson nails Pominville from behind, giving him a concussion and having him taken off the ice on a stretcher -- and he only gets two games {which was two too many according to Blackhawks fans on Yahoo, who said it was just a "hip check"}

- Alex Ovechkin got a suspension for a knee-to-knee hit on Jeff Carter -- but only a five minute major and ejection for a hit on Kaleta that gave him a concussion

- Scott Gomez {then with NYR} "lost his balance" and collided with Ryan Miller in February 2009, ending Miller's season and the Sabres playoff hopes . . . then {as now, with Lucic} there was no on-ice retaliation . . . then {as now, with Lucic} Ruff was irate . . . and then {as now, with Lucic} Gomez got no discipline

- In the 2010 playoff series against BOS, Gary Bettman suspended Zdeno Chara for game seven for his hit on the already injured Vanek in game 6 -- then changed his mind 24 hours later

If the league wants to send the message to the Sabres that they'll have to exact their own discipline, that's OK by me. As evidenced by their non-responses to Lucic's and Gomez's hits on Miller, that's a message Sabres players have needed to get for some time.

By this line of reasoning, the next time Tim Thomas comes out of his crease to play the puck, or when/if Sidney Crosby comes back, the Sabres should be free to both take a run at Thomas and knock Crosby into another concussion . . . am I right?

This is a fanpost written by a member of the community, it doesn't necessarily express the views or opinions of Die by the Blade

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Comments

It certainly does seem like league discipline is completely arbitrary.

by mxsd on Nov 15, 2011 6:03 AM EST reply actions

No, it is not arbitrary. It is biased towards their more marketable teams.

"I could have conquered Europe, all of it, but I had women in my life." - King Henry II of England

by Calvert on Nov 15, 2011 8:42 AM EST reply actions 2 recs

It’s made me think of the times players have taken cheap shots at Buffalo players over the years and have received little or no punishment. Dale Hunter on Mike Ramsey in the 85 playoffs, Brian Skrudland scrambling Scott Arniel’s brain in the 89 (or 90?) playoffs, Chris Neil on Drury, and this … there’s probably more incidents I missed, but over the years, I’ve yet to see any fair punishment for a player taking liberties with a Buffalo Sabre. Thanks for continuing the trend, Shanny.

That being said, isn’t this the 2nd time Miller has been run and not a single player did anything (Gomez in 09)? That equally worries me …

by sabre74kkn on Nov 15, 2011 10:06 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs

And perhaps the most flagrant of them all, Jamie Macoun’s two handed hi-karate chop to the face of Pat LaFontaine which shattered his jaw, severed a facial artery, kept Patty out of the lineup for over two months and which was probably the first of the injuries that prematurely shortened his career.

The league didn’t suspend Macoun because they claimed they couldn’t determine intent. That is what led to the bench clearing brawl four weeks later.

"I could have conquered Europe, all of it, but I had women in my life." - King Henry II of England

by Calvert on Nov 15, 2011 5:41 PM EST up reply actions

Can’t forget even last year’s playoffs when TC gets trucked from behind by Richards. Separated sternums are fairly commonplace?

by VFN FTW on Nov 15, 2011 8:48 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

That was so terrible. Richards should have been suspended. However, the league doesn’t give 2 craps unless it is Crosby getting hurt. I think you can get 10 games for just hip-checking Crosby along the boards.

by mxsd on Nov 15, 2011 2:02 PM EST up reply actions

That is not the message Shanahan INTENDED to send

He has made it very clear that he is against retaliatory violence, line-brawling, etc. He wants the rules upheld, he is just too incompetent to actually enforce the rules in an unbiased/even manner. I’m not crying conspiracy or anything, but he blew this call and that’s that. Whether it has league-wide implications on goalie protection remains to be seen.

by lassathrax on Nov 15, 2011 1:52 PM EST reply actions

Shanahan is incompetent.

What are his qualifications for the job? “I used to play for the Red Wings – that makes me a god!”

by mxsd on Nov 15, 2011 2:01 PM EST up reply actions

He’s not incompetent. He’s bought.

"I could have conquered Europe, all of it, but I had women in my life." - King Henry II of England

by Calvert on Nov 15, 2011 5:57 PM EST up reply actions

As in cash bribes? Or some other sort of reward?

by 13_Legion on Nov 15, 2011 8:45 PM EST up reply actions

Wasn’t the high-paying job in itself enough of a reward? “Take the money, rule as I tell you and the money will keep coming.”

"I could have conquered Europe, all of it, but I had women in my life." - King Henry II of England

by Calvert on Nov 15, 2011 10:05 PM EST up reply actions

Now doubt that was left off of his contract, that’d be odd.

by 13_Legion on Nov 16, 2011 9:28 AM EST up reply actions

*No

by 13_Legion on Nov 16, 2011 9:28 AM EST up reply actions

Southie hookers, clearly.

by Philaster on Nov 15, 2011 10:43 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

More likely Charlestown

by 13_Legion on Nov 16, 2011 10:21 AM EST up reply actions

I can’t quite make it out but I think that’s a Bruins tattoo above her left breast.

by Philaster on Nov 16, 2011 10:46 AM EST up reply actions

Your right but....

We have seen what these guys do when this type of shit happens. They tuck their tail between their legs and go into a shell. Sure we have guys on our team who can fight, but they have proven time and time again that they don’t want to.
This ruling has Campbell’s hands all over it. The league has held the Bruins players to a different standard for a while now…. Time for everyone in the locker room to throw a bunch of cash on the huge logo in the middle of the floor for the guy who will be losing out on their salary while suspended…. and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! If it happens to be dirty so be it, because until someone on this team steps up the rest of the league will keep doing this to our stars. Why wouldn’t they? It seems to be working for the teams who have done it before….

Rookies are like teabags...you don't know what you're gonna get until you put them in hot water. -Harry Neale

by weswed51 on Nov 15, 2011 3:15 PM EST reply actions

I think Ruff should jump over the bench and start punching Claude Julien… Not for any logical reason, just for entertainment.

by lassathrax on Nov 15, 2011 3:44 PM EST up reply actions

Agree

No real sound reasoning behind it, but i cannot stand Julien. I’d pay someone to take a sprint right at that guy (provided they weren’t doing it with the purpose to hit him, just have their head down and oops).

by VFN FTW on Nov 15, 2011 4:00 PM EST up reply actions