By now you've seen the infamous hit between Milan Lucic and Ryan Miller but in case you haven't then here it is...
Miller is out with a concussion.
And Lucic has not been suspended.
Insanity.
- Dustin Penner injured his hand and has been put on the IR by the LA Kings.
- Brent Seabrook is out for the Blackhawks with an undisclosed injury.
- The Avalanche decided on a captain finally...Milan Hejduk is the new captain of the Avs.
- The Ducks claimed Niklas Hagman off of re-entry waivers from the Flames.
10 comments:
Alex Goligoski is also out at least four weeks with a broken thumb.
Okay Brendan Brendan Brendan I worship you, but you got this one wrong. Intent in-shmendt. Players of Lucic's calibre KNOW FULL WELL HOW TO STOP THEMSELVES when they're going that fast. Talking to you, too, Lurch. I'm sick and tired of oversized players pouting and saying they were going too fast and couldn't stop and like it's not their fault they're six feet twelve and weigh sixteen tons, etc .etc. Boo hoo pity us gravity's a bitch whaddaya expect?
You're professionals. I expect as much. I don't care if you're oversized, undersized or the Yeti. You're supposed to know how to skate! You're supposed to know how to stop yourself and how to get off your ass and gain speed from a full-stop! It's your JOB! In the new NHL, players must assume full responsibility for their size and what comes with that. Everybody's playing together so everybody has to make it work.
I give Miller and the Sabres full props for not censoring their feelings on this one. In a stark contrast to the way the Flyers do things, the Sabres' brass stepped up and rallied behind their furious franchise player. And to everybody calling out the rest of the team for being weenies for not "stepping up' against the Bruins - what exactly were they supposed to do? Start a line-brawl and incur a mountain of penalty minutes and subsequent multi-game suspensions? Allow the game to degenerate into the farce that was the Pens/Isles fiasco from last season? That's not how Lindy Ruff coaches and that's NOT the correct response, in my opinion. We will see how they "respond" in due course. When the Sabres advance in the playoffs - with or without Miller - when the Bruins are running on fumes come springtime, I'm sure all the Sabre weenie talk will be a distant memory.
The next Sabres/Bruins game will be interesting, open season on goalies? or will Lucic get a beat down? is there even anyone on the Sabres side that can take him on?? Lucic comes across as arrogant and cocky to me, I think a little karma going his way might be a good thing.
Oh and I thought Lindy Ruff's comments were spot on, too bad if Shanny didn't like them!
I waited for the Shanahammer that never came on that one. Lucic didn't even try to avoid contact, whether or not there was intent to injure, so Shanny missed an opportunity to send a message here.
My fantasy team is beginning to look like a hospital ward. When's the next trade date?
Well here's where I sit on this. Yes, Looch coulda stopped. He did look at Miller and --to my eyes--didn't make an effort to avoid him. Right after that, though, Miller took a huge and vicious swing with his heavy club at Lucic. That--while yes, may have been an emotional reaction and not the kind of thing he would normally do--is also inexcusable.
THEN he 'sticks around' to tell the media what he thinks of Looch--therefore stirring the pot. That to me was classless and uncalled for. Sure, be pissed--be reallllly fucking pissed, I get it. But that kind of childish grandstanding is just as bad if not worse. Speak with your game, Ryan--or maybe THAT's the real problem. He can't.
Even Gaustad said they--and he in particular--should've done something. I agree and in a way I don't think the Bruins would've necessarily faulted them. It's what any team should do. Of course the best way is by winning but save that...well....
It's enough to make me wonder if Miller is the kind of teammate one doesn't automatically stick up for--it would explain the hesitation and given his post-game display it wouldn't shock me.
@Jennifer: I agree that Miller should not have swung at Lucic, and his post-game comments were over-the-top. But you are also right in qualifying that he was justifiably very upset and we have all seen his emotion get the better of him in the past. Personally, I was not a fan of his post-Olympic loss sulking. But I will concede that he's an emotional guy who acts in the moment and perhaps feels that he HAS to stick up for himself because nobody else will. And your questioning whether he is the type of teammate players will stick up for is very valid and interesting, to say the least.
I think that Gaustad's admission that the team should have "done something" is largely motivated by an aspect of hockey culture that I think has to change, though. "Sticking up" for your teammates has to be smart and well-calculated - especially now - or it can end up backfiring and making everybody look stupid and undisciplined (including the coaching staff). Players can injure themselves - and even their own teammates! - "making xxx pay" for some stupid shit that went down and subsequent fines/suspensions only hurt teams down the road…
I much prefer for guys to share candid and provocative post-game commentary when these things happen but again, those comments need to be well-crafted, relevant and honest - not out-of-control and wildly accusatory. I think everybody understood and recognized Miller's anger but it's the way it all came out (on and off the ice) that has understandably left a sour taste in a lot of fans' mouths. He could have expressed his frustration in a less self-destructive manner. Remember that Cancers snap when they perceive their shells are being poked...
I am of course drawing these deductions from my very limited experience of watching how the Hawks react when anyone gives Craw or Emery a shower--it's all hands on deck, not necessarily swinging wildly but letting it be known that such behavior is no bueno.
I agree, MG, I love when the (very) few are candid and not spouting the party line like Bettmanbots...it's as rare as your aforementioned Yeti and you think with the 'popularity' of Biz and 24/7 the league would've figured it out that it's needed. Especially when it becomes a Pump-Your-Tires moment. But to use the Bruins and Timmy as an example, Lu said that and Tim like everything else batted it away like a peewee's slapshot and they went on to win the Cup. There was no escalation, no sophomore year slam books needed.
@mouthguard you nailed in on Cancers. Guilty crab here!
I thought the "collision" or whatever they are calling it today was disgusting. And I am NO Sabres fan my friend. (Although I root for Miller in the olympics.) Hating Sabres is a competitive sport here. The I couldn't stop crap is just bullshit. THAT pissed me off. I watched a d-man stop on a dime the other night to keep from doing this very thing. And it's not like there were a bunch of dudes in Looch's way. He knew exactly what he was doing. Just admit you did it. Especially when your acting skills SUCK.
And the Boston radio dudes tonight were saying how Buffalo should have done something...like run Tim Thomas. Okaaaaaay. So someone does some assholish and your response should be to respond like assholes? Whatever. If they wanted to stick up for him I don't think nailing Thomas is an appropriate response.
I also heard goalies say "he was out of the crease. Fair game." Whatever. It was an asshole thing to do. Eric Staal ran into Roloson earlier this year. My response of my own captain? COME ON! You are better that that! I was pissed at him!
As for Miller swinging his stick. Not ok either. But if Lucic ran over me like that I think I would have done the same thing. Ok I could never be a goalie anyway. I am a bit high strung.
But yeah...even as a champeen anti-Sabre fan, I am not cool with the sitch. It was cheap and dirty.
@shanny p.s. I am so glad that Alex Goligoski is no longer in our division. Because of his play? No. Because I got sick of listening to my dad calling him Alex Colonoscopy. Oh dad you are such a card (in your own mind).
Update: Goose has been place on IR. Retroactive to 11/11.
http://stars.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=601657&navid=DL|DAL|home
I think I post for everyone when I type FUCK!
BTW...thanks a lot Chris Kunitz!!
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