The 2010-2011 Suspension Thread

[WSjo22 1]

I've never been one to judge intent, but it's hard to give the benefit of the doubt on this one

...... just saw the NESN replay, their angle from behind the bench makes it look less intentional

[zachary 2]

Edit:

Found the video.

[Habs21 0]

Disgusting hit. Nothing else to say about this one. Got beat by Patches speed for like the 5th time in that game and decided he had enough. What a disgrace.

[lampliter87 8]

http://www.hockeyfights.com/quickhits/entry/zdeno-chara-hits-max-pacioretty

Article says he is moving his limbs in the hospital which is great news; I don't think I saw him make any kind of movement after the hit. Hope his neck isn't broken.

[Hidious 0]

Chara probably still sour about Pacioretty's push after his goal in OT. Campbell won't decide this one since his son is in this team.

[RadioGaGa 162]

So, anyone want to spin the NHL's "Wheel Of Suspensions"???. It appears to be how they do it, right? There is a wheel with 10 spots. 8 of them are 2 games....1 is 5...and 1 is 10.

He'll get 2. He's a 30 minute a game Captain, not a fringe player with a history of head shots and cheap plays. They aren't going to throw the book at him. In fact, I bet they issue a statement about the padding on the partitions, and make that a bigger issue than the hit.

To be honest...watching it live at full speed...I thought it was just an unfortunate collision at the end of the glass on a hard clean hit. But after I see it again and again, it slo-mo it looks pretty obvious that Chara propels him into the end.

Still, I stay with my 2 game prediction.

[team50 20]

I'll lay money on it that there is no suspension.

[RadioGaGa 162]

When they came back from the Intermission on RDS, Benoit Brunet looked first fired up when he talked about it. Not idea what he said though *L*

[Krev 86]

Chara should get 10 games. However, he's either going to get zero, or 2.

[RadioGaGa 162]

TSN's play by play: http://watch.tsn.ca/featured/clip430013#clip430013

[D3nZ 0]

When you see the play in slow motion it's scary. You really see Chara push him and Chara is facing the extension.

[zachary 2]

I can agree it's very unfortunate that he got hurt but I don't really think Chara intended to do that. Then again we really don't know what goes through their mind. I don't really know so I'll just wait for the decision. I never liked to see anyone get hurt.

[Hidious 0]

Both Brunet and P.J Stock who have played with Chara seem to believe that Chara would never have done that intentionally.

[RadioGaGa 162]

TSN (Barnaby and Bobby Mac) is saying the same thing about it.

[troy 12]

When you're riding a guy into the bench area, you're certainly going to give him a shove. Watching a video in super slow motion makes it much easier to go, "OMG he shoved him right into the turnbuckle!!!" when in real time fractions of a second have passed. My guess is Chara never suspected Pacioretty's head would be anywhere near an obstruction like that and instinctively carried out a play he's executed hundreds of times in his life. I think a game or two is a safe bet given the gamer and apparent injury to Pacioretty.

[Larry54 243]

I don't think Chara wanted to hurt him that bad. I think he intentionally pushed him toward the divider but was too dumb to realize what damage it might result in.

[RadioGaGa 162]

When you're riding a guy into the bench area, you're certainly going to give him a shove. Watching a video in super slow motion makes it much easier to go, "OMG he shoved him right into the turnbuckle!!!" when in real time fractions of a second have passed. My guess is Chara never suspected Pacioretty's head would be anywhere near an obstruction like that and instinctively carried out a play he's executed hundreds of times in his life. I think a game or two is a safe bet given the gamer and apparent injury to Pacioretty.

Steve Kouleas (who is absolutely AWFUL on TSN btw)...kept calling it a turnbuckle while they talked about the hit. What a tool!

I didn't see the last game in Montreal between them, but they were talking about bad blood between Chara and Pacs from that game. Not the 8-6 game in Boston a few weeks ago...this was the 3-2 OT game in January where the B's blew a 2-0 lead with less then 3 minutes left and Pacs scored in OT. After he scored he shoved Chara and then Z tried to get at him while he was celebrating in the corner. I don't know if they were trying to illustrate intent, or if it was just Kouleas being a goof...but it did seem like a stretch to bring up.

[Hidious 0]

Steve Kouleas (who is absolutely AWFUL on TSN btw)...kept calling it a turnbuckle while they talked about the hit. What a tool!

I didn't see the last game in Montreal between them, but they were talking about bad blood between Chara and Pacs from that game. Not the 8-6 game in Boston a few weeks ago...this was the 3-2 OT game in January where the B's blew a 2-0 lead with less then 3 minutes left and Pacs scored in OT. After he scored he shoved Chara and then Z tried to get at him while he was celebrating in the corner. I don't know if they were trying to illustrate intent, or if it was just Kouleas being a goof...but it did seem like a stretch to bring up.

Chara probably still sour about Pacioretty's push after his goal in OT.

That's what i was referring to. Chara was really pissed at the the time and started a brawl.

That said, everything is against Chara; it was 4-0 in a very hyped up game after the crazy 8-6 game, everyone's expecting some dirty plays from the Bruins, Chara and Pacioretty have a history and McCreary immediately called a 5 and a game misconduct (probably expecting something ugly if Chara was allowed to finish the game). A 5 for interference, is that a first?

[camhockey16 5]

this is the video from the previous time they played

[Drewhunz 3]

So how many games did Jack Johnson get suspended for a similar hit to Ryan Smyth a couple seasons ago?

[hamstercaster 2]

Disclaimer: I'm a Habs fan to the bones

Now that this out of the way, my view on the hit is that it was not intentional and as Chara described it after the game, it was an unfortunate ending. I hate Chara and his sometimes belligerent attitude towards other players which are all smaller and lighter then he is. However, on that hit he drove Pacioretty the same way he would have done if he was along the glass anywhere else on the rink. Were his elbows high? Perhaps.

The penalty itself is kind of weird. 5 minutes for interference and a game misconduct? I can see the interference call as Pacioretty did not have the puck and it was a late check. I could have seen them calling a 5 for elbowing or roughint maybe, but a 5 for interference. That has to be a first. The game misconduct made sense though. As previously said, it was probably just to prevent things from escalating and having the game turn nasty. With the Habs up 4-0, it was fairly safe to say that with or without Chara they would lose the game anyway so it was probably the best thing to do to keep things from getting ugly.

With the previous two games and the Pacioretty incident, I think that it is safe to say that Chara knew who he was hitting and probably put a bit more into the hit which resulted in that unfortunate incident but I don't think there was any intent to injure him and the suspension will be small if any at all. There are no signs of wether the league will review the hit or not and the Bruins are playing tomorrow night. Campbell was in the building apparantly but will not rule on that play since his son plays for Boston.

[Joshison 1]

No way he should be suspended. If they were 2 feet up the boards there wouldn't of even been a penalty, it was just an unfortunate thing I do not think Chara intended for that to happen.

[maxamillion 3]

The penalty itself is kind of weird. 5 minutes for interference and a game misconduct? I can see the interference call as Pacioretty did not have the puck and it was a late check. I could have seen them calling a 5 for elbowing or roughint maybe, but a 5 for interference. That has to be a first. The game misconduct made sense though. As previously said, it was probably just to prevent things from escalating and having the game turn nasty. With the Habs up 4-0, it was fairly safe to say that with or without Chara they would lose the game anyway so it was probably the best thing to do to keep things from getting ugly.

When richards hit booth he got 5 and a game for interference as well. that's how they are supposed to call it i believe.

[KingPest19 0]

So how many games did Jack Johnson get suspended for a similar hit to Ryan Smyth a couple seasons ago?

Nothing IIRC. Chara does have a phone call today at 12 with the league.

[skeeter14 0]

Unfortunate hit, and I feel bad for Max, but I really feel there was no real intent to injure there. Big Z got the 5 and a game and that will be all it comes to.