Bergeron out

[sjsharks11 0]

the league has to do something about the flyers. This is the 3rd time one of their players has done something bad. First Downey, then Boulerice, now this. Their ridiculous comeback is getting overshadowed by all these dirty plays.

[rinkrat94 1]

I have said this since the Bert mess ... Until someone dies, and it will happen at this rate, the NHL will do very little.

They need to set an example, depending on the infraction, either suspend for a very long time or a life ban.

Yup, the only reason the NHL came down hard(at least by their standards)on Bertuzzi was because he broke Moore's neck. If Moore had been ok Bertuzzi probably would not have been suspended. It shouldn't matter if a player gets hurt or not if the play is illegal and has the potential to seriously injure a player the NHL needs to to crack down to get this kind or garbage out of the game. The hit was dirty,unnecessary and dangerous and the fact that jones isn't known as a dirty player should not matter.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

I say he gets between 10-15 games. It wasn't a super super blatant dirty intending to injure someone hit like some of the others this season, but it was a hit from behind. If they give someone not known to be a dirty player a pretty hefty suspension for something like that it should send out a message to everyone, that whether you have a name that precedes you or not you will get fined if you cross the line.

We'll have to wait and see, but something needs to be done to stop hits from behind. However, guys get hit from behind all the time into the boards and as long as they stay on their feet they rarely get hurt.

Also want to say something about those that turn their back to the play to protect the puck. Malkin did some type of move like that in tonights Pens game and he got hit from behind about 3-4 feet from the boards. He didnt go terribly into it head first but it still could be very dangerous. Whomever hit him, Kovalev I believe got 2 minutes for boarding (plus 2 for the scrum afterwards). When guys do that, they invite themselves to be bumped, but the opposing player also has to know to pull up.. Yeah they might not get the puck since they're not drilling someone from behind, but they gotta pull up and set their body up in good defensive position. You can still get close enough to someone shielding the puck to protect them from turning back towards your goal without crushing them.

How many games did Orpik get when he broke Coles neck?

[Chadd 916]

How many games did Orpik get when he broke Coles neck?

Three and I said it should have been way more at that time. I doubt this one gets more than five and I expect it to be in the 2-3 range.

http://redblackhockey.blogspot.com/2006/03...gets-three.html

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

Orprick got like 2 or 3 games.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

Ah, a disgruntled Hurricane fan I see?

At any rate, its that same type of play. Its like, a hockey play that goes bad. People take hits in the back all the time and as long as they stay vertical it usually results in nothing. With the recent crack down I expect 5-8 games but I think it should be slightly more.

[Hidious 0]

I don't agree with you huys about the dirtiness of this hit.

Sure, from another perspective (yours) it's a dirty hit. But from mine, a defenseman sees a puck and a guy go in the corner. He plays physical hockey and checks him like any other guy who would go near the boards. Unfortunatly, the guy is in a delicate position to be checked. The hit becomes a dirty hit. I agree, he's not "playing the puck', hes trying to check the guy. Your not supposed to "play the puck" anyway.

His hands are high? His hands are a juste above waist height. And he doesn't even push the guys head into the glass, he uses his body. It's nowhere near the Pronger hit in last's years playoff on i-don't-remember-who, Holmstrom?

Found it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4RMCvVxIi0

Pronger got 1 game? Jones deserves 0. I don't care about the "circumstances".

[Wolfpack_1986 154]

^playoffs have always had a different measure of what severity suspensions are appropriate. If pronger had that same hit right now, it'd be 5 games easy. It's even in the rule book. Accrued game misconducts dont count in the playoffs, and once the finals start, acrrued game misconducts in the playoffs dont count. Laraque got a game misconduct for boarding in like the first round of the 05-06 playoffs, and got one during the finals... had it happened the series before, automatic one gamer. However, that was not the case.

Ah, a disgruntled Hurricane fan I see?

At any rate, its that same type of play. Its like, a hockey play that goes bad. People take hits in the back all the time and as long as they stay vertical it usually results in nothing. With the recent crack down I expect 5-8 games but I think it should be slightly more.

Maybe, but at any rate that hit was absolutely disgusting and 3 games wasnt deserving. Especially since Orpik has a reputation... He didnt even try to call until months later, you think he felt bad? no. Justice wasnt served on that check, and anyone who argues to the contrary is a bone head. regardless of the circumstances, 3 games wasnt enough.

I'll even go so far as saying from the standpoint of the actual hit, the bergeron one is worse. The Cole play happened much quicker, Orpik had some time to peel out, but didnt have quite as much as Jones did. Cole did put him self in a poisition where you could argue he left himself vulnerable, where as bergeron was in no way endangering himself.

I dont think both hits had any sort of ill will other than laying out a big check, but that doesnt mean a message doesnt need to be sent. It's all about respect.

I'm guessing 10 games.

[Trooper 8]

Unfortunatly, the guy is in a delicate position to be checked. The hit becomes a dirty hit. I agree, he's not "playing the puck', hes trying to check the guy. Your not supposed to "play the puck" anyway.

That's why there are rules about not checking guys when the are in a "delicate position to be checked." He could have played the body there without sending him flying like he did. If one of my players hit a guy like that, the consequences would be far worse from the coaching staff than anything the officials could hand out.

[chippa13 1844]

All Jones ever saw on that play was Bergeron's back, a definite no-no. Perhaps the NHL needs to implement the Stop signs on the back of the jersey.

After seeing the video, it looks like Jones wasn't in a race for the puck with Bergeron, he had down low coverage and was switching off with his partner who was going to lose the race for the puck.

[wullymc 0]

I think players need to take responsibility for their actions but maybe there is more than just the player that needs to be looked at. This is Philly's third hit in question this year. I think you should take a look at the coaching of this team. Is the coach telling players to be more physical to the point a player feels if he doesn't play on or over the edge physically he won't play (with a few exceptions - Biere and Gagne)? I don't know Jones as a player, however I can bet that Downie and Boulderice felt this way (to remain on the team).

I don't mind hitting in games but player respect has to be paramount.

[oggy_3 0]

IMO i think should only get 1-2 games, i dont think he went out of his way to hurt him and it was the vase if bergeron would have been straight up or if Jones would of went into the voards with him when he hit we wouldnt even be talking about it. Also because its Philly again i could it actually being up to 5 games, Boulerice, Downie and now Jones

[Zac911 317]

if you can see a players nameplate and number you need to let up. you can check a guy without sending him to the hospital. over the last 5-7 years there has been a culture of this kind of hit.

[Eazy_b97 1]

I typically respect your hockey insight as you know quite a bit, but you are way off base here. Randy Jones didnt go out of his way to hammer Bergeron's head. That's assisine. You do understand at which the speed these guys are playing the game. It's really easy to say something like that watching it SLOW MOTION.

I know exactly how quick they are moving and how quick they make decisions. If Jones had more time, I think he would've made a better one. He puts his hand on the back of his head and drives it. Sometimes you do things in the heat of the moment you aren't proud of. You don't always think ahead. He isn't usually a dirty player, but alot of clean players do stupid things from time to time.

I'm not condoning the danger of these types of hits, but a.) Randy Jones is not a dirty player and b.) he was not 'going out of his way' to 'hammer' Bergeron's head. No one can predict angles of objects in high speed when they are abrubtly brought to a halt.

Watch the way he rides him in. His hand doesn't ride up his back and he is trying to put Bergeron in hard. This isn't a brutal hit, like we've seen in the first two Flyer incidents. I think it's a poor decision made in a very short amount of time.

Ever consider, for one second, that Bergeron is already going down when Jones is committing?

I heard about this before I saw it, and that was my first thought. After watching it, nothing suggests that. He's stopping and looks to be well balanced.

You are a Leafs fan, right?

Yes

[Chadd 916]

All Jones ever saw on that play was Bergeron's back, a definite no-no. Perhaps the NHL needs to implement the Stop signs on the back of the jersey.

After seeing the video, it looks like Jones wasn't in a race for the puck with Bergeron, he had down low coverage and was switching off with his partner who was going to lose the race for the puck.

That video doesn't roll back far enough or with a wide enough angle. It was a dump in and Jones didn't make any attempt to get to the puck. Had he taken a couple hard strides he would have beaten Bergeron to the puck, though he probably would have gotten hit instead of being the one drilling Bergeron.

[camhockey16 5]

here is another longer video of it - go figure another flyer injures somebody

although to be fair, jones doesn't have the bad history that boulerice and downie had..

[Krev 86]

here is another longer video of it - go figure another flyer injures somebody

although to be fair, jones doesn't have the bad history that boulerice and downie had..

Being fair only goes so far in todays NHL.

[Chadd 916]

here is another longer video of it - go figure another flyer injures somebody

although to be fair, jones doesn't have the bad history that boulerice and downie had..

Being fair only goes so far in todays NHL.

Be fair to the guy who ends up crippled by one of these hits too.

I was amazed at how long they stayed with him laying on the ice and not going to a commercial.

[chippa13 1844]

All Jones ever saw on that play was Bergeron's back, a definite no-no. Perhaps the NHL needs to implement the Stop signs on the back of the jersey.

After seeing the video, it looks like Jones wasn't in a race for the puck with Bergeron, he had down low coverage and was switching off with his partner who was going to lose the race for the puck.

That video doesn't roll back far enough or with a wide enough angle. It was a dump in and Jones didn't make any attempt to get to the puck. Had he taken a couple hard strides he would have beaten Bergeron to the puck, though he probably would have gotten hit instead of being the one drilling Bergeron.

I watched the B's in 2 replay of the game today. I don't think with the head start Bergeron had and from where Jones was coming from that Jones had a chance to beat Bergeron to the puck. Jones made a very stupid play with the hit but I don't think he avoided being the first to the puck.

[LoXish 0]

In that video it's very obvious that Bergeron and Jones were a similar distance from the puck right about where they get to the net... Bergeron may have had more speed than Jones... but they were similar distance away, there was no reason for Jones to hold up and give up on the play in order to make that hit... granted Jones doesn't have a history... it was a stupid play and he should be disciplined for such.

[epstud74 24]

How would you coach a defenseman to play otherwise?

I've been a big proponent of suspending guys based on the potential for injury of a play and not on the actual result of the play. The issue on this type of hit is that coaches are teaching kids to let the other guy get the puck and then cream him. Why do you think you see so many guys pull up in those situations?

I sometimes think this too, but then I think this is also something that sounds a lot better in theory and may not be practical. It can be argued that practically anything has the potential to cause debilitating injury. Any highstick could potentially blind someone, any crosscheck could potentially break bones, any hit along the boards could potentially separate a shoulder, any trip could potentially cause tears to knee ligaments, etc. How would you define the guidelines so that refs would be able to make consistent calls?

Fight for the puck. Even if you don't win the race, it's much more likely that the other guy won't be able to make a clean play on the puck and get it to a teammate.

It would have to be up to the league and not the ref. Hits from behind and head shots are the obvious areas to watch. The stuff that isn't a real hockey play is pretty obvious when you watch it. Replacing the current hockey operations people in the NHL would help immensely at this point.

It was a typical sucker pass, but if you watch the video, Jones was already looking away when he hit Bergeron. I dont think he expected him to go down like that.

[Monty22 832]

The good news is that the AP is reporting Bergeron was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital and was diagnosed with a broken nose and a concussion by Bruins team physician Dr. Bertram Zarins. Could have been much worse.

[djinferno 2]

I agree that is was a bad hit but I'm not ready to throw the book at this guy simply because Bergy was coming to get the puck and turned to protect the puck and got crushed... If he was going the same way, that would of been a clean check....

Again I'm not liking the hit but at the speed the game goes, I can't say the player had malide like others I saw...

[Miserable 6]

http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/mckenzie/?id=221637

Pretty level headed view of the situation.

[chippa13 1844]

I agree that is was a bad hit but I'm not ready to throw the book at this guy simply because Bergy was coming to get the puck and turned to protect the puck and got crushed... If he was going the same way, that would of been a clean check....

Again I'm not liking the hit but at the speed the game goes, I can't say the player had malide like others I saw...

Bergeron never turned. He merely was stopping to make a play.