I think it's a great response. Also I LOVE that he referenced an example of discipline that the NHL already gave out for a similar hit. Now let's see what the gutless NHL does. I'm betting not even a fine.
I do agree they are not consistent with their punishment. To me WAY too much emphasis is placed on injury or not. I think that is ridiculous. If a guy gets hurt does it make the actual hit worse or the message the NHL should be trying to teach any different. I hate that they put so much focus on injury or not. To me that makes it about fair play like you lost your guy so now we'll make the other team lose their guy...and that should NOT be the message behind suspensions.
I agree Mess. That is my thinking as well. That's why I say 16 games +/-. Which would be 5 weeks (5 weeks from today is Jan 1). If he is back Jan 2nd at Florida he missed 15 games.
Depends what ribs and how bad the break is. Can't risk rushing back and the ribs haven't healed completely, takes a hit and the rib punctures a lung. Believe it or not, it easier for Steve Smith to come back because he can go 6 straight days with no contact and then get a shot for Sunday to numb the pain. NHL doesn't have that luxury. Step will have to play every other day and take hits in all those games.
And it isn't even middle of the season yet, so it isn't a crusher if he waits a few extra days to be 100% healed. Missing games 24-40 or so isn't a huge crusher.
Yeah, and clearly he came back too soon as we saw yesterday. So to 94's point, let Step be 100% for sure before he comes back. No matter how you cut it he will be back by the mid point of the season +/-, so a TON of hockey left to play when he returns...months.
Yep. And with ribs he can keep skating and staying in shape too. Better than a concussion or lower body.
Last thing I'll say about the Stepan injury, the Rangers are in 1st place right now. If they can't stay near the top of the Met over 15 games +/- without Step, then they weren't that great anyway. With games in hand they are 4 over Pitt for 3rd and 7 over the Devs/Isles for 4th. No excuse not to be worst case 3rd when Stepan returns, but I'd bet on 2nd after the Caps.
He's sucked all year anyway. To moron Chuck. McIlrath beat the crap out of the guy who did it. If he wasn't there, the rest of the pussies would have done nothing and then McDonagh would have gotten run at later in the game. God you're a moron. You just can't admit you are wrong about anything.
The hit was dirty. However, the fact is that McIlrath did something about it. Rather then the past 5 years where nobody on this team has an ounce of balls. He was also the best defenseman out there by a mile today. He actually threw, you know, a big hit on a forward when the dumbass tried to enter our zone. Haven't seen our defenseman to that in 5 years.
Wrong about what dump? The hit still happened of course, no one player is going to stop a team from playing how they are going to play despite what you say. And I wrote during the game after it happened I loved what McIlrath did there, and AV better play him again tomorrow for that reason alone. So once again I am LOST trying to figure out your point. Is it that I have said time after time that if I were the coach I would play McIlrath over Boyle a lot more than AV has? Is it that I said after he had Stepan's back today that I loved what he did and AV better play him tomorrow? Come on dumpy....
Very true, but I really liked what McIlrath did there. To me it was the right move especially in game 23 of the regular season. Maybe it will serve as some sort of message for later in the season. If this was late in the season or the playoffs I think I would feel differently, cannot afford a PP against in a huge game, but in game 23 of the regular season I really liked what McIlrath did today. Good for him and the team I think.
Anyone would like what he did but the only thing it showed was he is a great teammate. It clearly didn't do anything to intimidate the Bruins. They tied the game and won it later.
Totally. These are grown men, no one man is going to intimidate other grown men to the point where they don't play their game. We know that. Al knows that as well. Still a good backup by McIlrath. Also didn't stop Marchand from skating into Hank's head later in the game. The comments from him and Julien after the game about that play were flat-out comical. When I hear stuff like that it makes me happy not to be a fan of a team and coach that acts like that. Reminds me of the Habs. Funny.
Youre trying to hard to come off as right. Youre not, the play itself proves you are wrong in your assertion that having McIlrath on the ice would deter teams for running our players....It didnt, the only thing that happened was Ballasky got his ass kicked, then the Bruins scored to tie it up. Had the refs done their jobs it wouldnt have come to that.
Sucks Stepan got hurt but i have zero concerned because we got off to such a great start that we have a lot of cushion. Plus this team is about the playoffs, so as long as he's back before then, and he will, there is nothing to worry about. And i don't get the complaining about the call/non call. Whether it's a non-call or 10min game misconduct that's still not going to heal Stepan's ribs any quicker.
McIlrath's play would be more effective if the rest of the team would grow some balls. They pussy defenseman on this team are a joke. The forwards don't hit anybody. Hank gets hit in the head, nobody does crap. The NHL needs to make the instigator penalty a judgement call in which the ref can say the player didn't start a fight out of frustration because of the score or just to have a fight. The rule is getting dumb. Part of the reason the Rangers can never clear the zone is because they are pussies. They take hit after hit and just try to pass it out of the zone. This team is freakin soft. It's so obvious. Shame some of our moron fans on this board know so little about hockey and can't grasp that.
