More Penguins vs Islanders Feb 11, 2011

This play by Gilles should make you sick. And the pundits call Matt Cooke's play similar to this. Not even close. This is a felony as is Matt Martin's sucker punch to the head on Max Talbot.

New York Islanders vs Pittsburgh Penguins Line Brawl

One very well placed grenade would be a public service here. Two, well that would be heroic! Who lifted the rock and let these clowns crawl out from under it. These people are cheering an injury, and even the Islanders staff just sits and lets Gilles taunt the player he hurt with an elbow to the head. The GM of the Islanders actually said that he did not see anything wrong with this. Wang should stick to drycleaning or fortune cookies, because that hockey team he owns is trash.

Garth Snow

The GM of the Islanders has the complete lack of class to actually wonder why the Penguins were not fined in an interview published on TSN.com. If that does not tell you what a complete low brow organization the Islanders are, and how far off base the NHL is to have not hammered them with the loss of draft picks etc. then I cannot help you. Mr. Snow, here is to hoping that when you leave for work tomorrow, some minimally intelligent idiot, about 6 foot three and 225 pounds runs about 25 yards and elbows you in the back of the head. Then while you are lying there in a fog, he punches you in your face a few times, and laughs while your family looks on. Then if your son comes out, I hope his partner punches him in the back of his head, then lands a few more while he lays there. After that, you can wonder why your classless group of miscreants was the only group fined. No wonder Evgeni Nabokov hung up the phone when he realized that this lifetime loser was on the phone telling him he was an Islander. Good call Evgeni, I would not want to be a part of this group either.

A predictable failure by the Garage League-A failure to communicate

I wish I were surprised, but I am not. Eric Godard winds up with the longest suspension of the group of players involved in Friday nights disgrace of a game. I understand that the penalty for leaving the bench to join a fight is a mandated penalty, so I do not have an issue with the penalty itself. The fact that defending a teammate(goaltender), who by the "code" of the NHL should not have had to fight a pure cement head was Godard's intent, I am proud of him that he did what he did, it is his role on the team. If the officials had done their job, there would have been no need, BUT the league went by the book on his suspension, and I can live with that. They chose under review not to suspend Bylsma for a game, which I believe to be the correct ruling under the circumstances. BUT, after that they did their usual BS. Trevor Gillies whose prescence on earth would hardly be missed, much less his prescence in hockey, was suspended for only 9 games. Yes, one game LESS than Godard for skating across the ice, delivering an elbow to the head of an unsuspecting Eric Tangradi, THEN punching him while he laid on the ice defenseless.As if that were not enough he was standing in the runway taunting Tangradi as he laid there being attended to for his CONCUSSION! The Elf's little assistant, Colonsniffer Campbell acknowledged that both Gilles and Martin had intent to injure by hitting a defenseless player in the head from behind. HOWEVER IT APPEARS THAT HE DID NOT THINK THAT THOSE ACTIONS OUTWEIGHED AN ENFORCERS DECISION TO PROTECT HIS GOALTENDER!??! Only in the NHL. Hey, Gilles is a known scumbag, who has injured an opponent, even in the league's view, with intent, by delivering a blow to the head,(the very injury they claim to be looking to eliminate), stood there mocking that player, then stated that the Pens deserved what they got post game, yet he gets 9 games? Wow, if he would have rolled Tangradi over and violated him physically, would they have matched Godard's 10 games? Look at the video, and watch how far Gilles came, how fast he was coming, and think about what COULD HAVE happened to Tangradi. The league had a chance to send a message, that worthless players whose only value is violence, who intentionally try to injure others are not wanted AT ALL in the league. The rest of this season would have been the bare MINIMUM warranted for the above referenced actions, especially by a known scumbag. What do you think they give Matt Cooke in that situation? Then, Matt Martin, another thug, who did the Bertuzzi on Talbot attempting to punch him in the head from the blindside, then punching him while on the ice gets 4 games? That is it? For a predatory move that had nothing to do with the speed of a hockey game, and making a split second decision to deliver a body check, BUT pre-meditated predation ending in a punch to the back of the head? The league is a joke. And Haley, the little punk called up from Bridgeport of the AHL to ADD to the goon level, who was in three fights, including the codebreaking melee with the goaltender got nothing. The fat head coach who had planned this from the beginning, who condoned if not ordered this premeditated dirty play got NOTHING? Are you kidding me? And the league again acknowledged that the Islanders need to control their players, but did not hold the guy behind the bench that day at all accountable?? What a joke this league is and Gary Bettman and Colin Campbell are the punchline! Oh yeah, in an attempt to show the team that they are accoutable the league fines the Islanders franchise 100K, which might be like fining me 100.00. Now, the aptly named owner Charles WANG is tighter than a frog's ass, so it might matter a bit, but come on, a franchise gets hit for $100K? Colin Campbell noted that the actions of Gilles and Martin were deliberate actions with the intent to injure by delivering a blow to the head of an unsuspecting player unable to defend himself, and further that this should make it clear to the players, that blows to the head will be dealt with by suspension. What we have here is a failure to communicate! The following shows what the penalties should have been if the league truly wanted to communicate to the players and teams:

Godard-10 games

Bylsma-0 games

Gilles-One full NHL/AHL/ECHL season, pending a hearing for reinstatemet at that time. His actions could have led to permanent and tragic injuries given the speed and distance he covered to take a shot at Tangradis head. The situation was exacerbated by his decision to punch him while he was dazed, and his lack of respect for the game and others shown with the subsequent taunting from the runway;

Martin-15-20 games-A pre-meditated, predatory punch to the back of the head, followed up by punching a player who had already fallen to the ice. The premeditation v a hockey hit would be the driving force behind this harsh of a penalty. The fact that Talbot was not injured should not matter, the premeditated intent should be the pivotal factor in a harsh suspension;

Haley-2 games-he at least fought people straight up like a man, but I would still send a message for his participation in what appeared to be a conspiracy, and the effort to fight a goaltender in the same sequence he had already fought in. Could technically be the equivalent of leaving the bench, as he should have been in the penalty box for his fight with Talbot;

Capuano-The rest of this NHL season, pending a hearing to be reinstated for next season. A little harsh you say? Well consider that he could have stopped this situation from escalating. His team embarrassed Johnson early by blowing 6 goals past him, and they had already suckered Talbot in head early in the game, yet he let the 3rd period turn into the worst scene I have witnessed in my life at a sporting event. At a minimum he condoned it, but he probably ordered it. Haley was called up to make sure they had enough expendable bodies to do the job. The players executed the orders of the commander. This would send a message to other coaches that YOU better control your players in these situations.

Islanders organization-They are 28th out of 30 in the league, so they are in line for a lottery draft choice, and suspensions could ensure that. They had nothing to lose to do what they did Friday night. In order to make sure that they do not benefit from the decisions above here is the penalty to the Islanders-ineligible for lottery pick this season, 100K, and this years second round draft pick. Why so harsh? Currently for making a mockery of the league, and injuring a player the Islanders lose 100K, a player with one goal all year for 9 games, and a player with 2 goals all season for 4 games. Not much for what they did, and not a message to anyone for the future. They are headed for a bottom 4 finish and a lottery pick anyway. But losing a draft pick and your eligibility for a lottery pick would show that the league will not condone these premeditated lynchings anymore;

Officiating crew-A one month suspension without pay. Why? The lost control of a game in a manner that very easily could have led to permanent injury for one or more of the players. This crew should have addressed the Islanders bench after the Talbot melee, and their subsequent dismissals of Rupp and Engelland. The message should have been that one more attempt to injure play would lead to the immediate forfeiture of play, suspension of all players involved, as well as the coaching staff. Their intent was clear at this point. Instead of diddling themselves in the warroom in Toronto, a representative should have cemented that point directly with the GM of the Islanders instead of worrying about reviewing goals, they should have stepped up to ensure the safety of their players and the integrity of their league. Predictably they did not;

I would also propose that the league allow my friends and I to take Gilles, Capuano, and Martin out on a one way fishing trip for makos. The stench from these three would make a chum that no big fat hungry mako could resist, and who would miss these three?

You really want to show that organizing a team wide premeditated retaliation with intent to injure is unacceptable then make the penalties for same have some teeth. A perennial loser of a franchise does not care about 100K, but not getting a lottery pick, and losing a high draft choice, now that could make them think. The NHL remains a joke. This just in.....Mario Lemieux apparently agrees, noting that the league had a chance to make a statement, and failed. He further noted that if this is the current state of the league, he needs to decide he wants to remain a part of it.

Islanders vs Penguins 2/11/11 BRAWL

Pens get jumped by Isles

Jack Capuano, interim head coach of the "Filth on the Sound" should be suspended by the league for at least twice as long as whatever suspension comes down for Dan Bylsma. Garth Snow sucked the under side of the sac as a goaltender, and I guess now he just nibbles the edges. Matt Moulson, you can score 100 goals a year and I am glad you are part of the Filth on the Sound v being a Penguin. Matt Martin, Zenon Kenopka, Trevor Gilles, gutless ball sacks who put a black eye on the league far bigger than any they put on the Penguins last night. And the league, I cant wait to see how they play this one out, as their officiating crew predictably lost control of what was supposed to be a hockley game last night. I guess to the Islanders, their drooling fans, and even some of the hockey world in general, deliberate dirty, cowardly "plays" are an acceptable form of retribution for the fact that their over rated, pussy of a goaltender got his face broken in a straight up fight with our goaltender......note to Johnson, you should have punched him again while he was down, and broken him up a bit more, as it is obvious that no quarter would be given by the Isles. The team also seemed to think that clean, but hard hits by Max Talbot were not allowed on Parenteau or Comeau as it may have jarred their tampons loose! Listen, I know how the NHL is, and I fully expected that cement heads such as Gilles and Kenopka would try to extract some measure of revenge for the ass whipping their cream puff goalie took last week. But the blind side hit Martin put on Talbot to really get the cheap stuff going should be AT LEAST a five game suspension, more due to the fact that he continued to try to hit a defenseless player on the ice. Ben Eager recently got 4 game for less of a blatant hit. Except for the fact that Talbot saw it at the last minute, it was exactly the same hit that Bertuzzi put on Steve Moore that resulted in a very serious injury to Moore and an indefinite suspension for Bertuzzi. It will be very interesting to see what the Elf and his crew in New York decide the punishment for that will be. I bet it is not even 5 games. As far as Trevor Gilles, he came all the way across the ice to deliver an elbow to the head of Eric Tangradi, then as he hit the ice in a daze, he began to punch him while down, a classless ballless act by a guy whose life is defined by them. Then, more gutless still he is seen in runway taunting Tangradi as he is tended to, and several off ice Islanders officials sit there and watch. A franchise that was once the pride of the league has proven again how far it has fallen. No wonder Guerin wanted to be retired as a Penguin. Well, not sure how many games you take this piece of trash out for, but the elbow plus the follow up punching, plus the taunting would seem to be the kind of offense the NHL would punish HEAVILY. I cannot wait to see what they do here. They gave Cooke 4 games for a MUCH less punishing hit, that did not involve any follow up punching, or unsportsmanlike actions. And Gilles, like Cooke is not a first timer, so I would think that double the penalty at a minimum would make sense. Haley, the tool that attacked Talbot and then went after Johnson, was one of a few additional talent less goons brought up by Snow and Capuano for this specific purpose. Godard will get the mandatory 10 games for leaving the bench to defend Johnson, plus a 10K fine, and Bylsma will get a 10K fine and a suspension for allowing it. Kudos to both, the only thing Godard did wrong was not catching Haley clean with a punch that could have hurt him. So NHL, given the fact that the "braintrust" of the Isles brought up additional talentless trash to supplement the more than ample talentless trash pool they already had up at the NHL level, to attempt to injure Penguins players as part of their retaliation for percieved liberties taken, how do you punish Capuano and Snow? You really think that the punishment for Godard/Bylsma fits the crime of protecting a teammate who should not have and frankly would not have been exposed to being hammered by a goon if your league and its officials were competent? There is a code in hockey and you do not see cement heads attacking goal tenders. If the guys who had obvious intentions would have been ejected instead of the toughest Penguins players, this would not have gotten to this level. Especially with the obvious intent and authorization by Capuano and Snow to take retribution to a ridiculous and dirty level, how does the league not fine Snow, and suspend Capuano? I am sure I am right when I say that you will be shocked by the lack of teeth in the punishment for the Isles despite the one sided manner in which the really ugly stuff unfolded. I have seen a lot of hockey, and have never seen a disgrace like that live. Despite having the best game, the NHL is clearly the joke of all "professsonal" sports.

Sweet Win

A very impressive win for the Penguins last night. Great game again for Marc Andre Fluery, who may have to get some MVP consideration IF he can stay hot and keep the Pens in the top 4 seeds. Zybnek Michalek also played lights out, and Jordan Staal was 15 for 20 in the faceoff circle, 5 shots on goal and the game winner in OT. Every two points they get right now are a big two points.