As a Flyer fan the Flyers play and TSN bailing on the game weren’t the only reasons to be pissed at game 2. Denis Gauthier was penalized for a check from behind on Thomas Vanek. A 5 minute major and a game misconduct, he got booted. I am not one usually one to speak the French, but that was a bullshit call. Was it worth a minor penalty, eh sure, but a major and a misconduct, no F-ing way. He checked with his right shoulder into the side and back of Vanek’s left shoulder. I looked at this hit several times on tivo and pausing the replay shown from the side it looks like they are standing next to each other with their shoulders touching. If Gautheir hit him square between the numbers I wouldn’t be complaining too much. What aggravated this more for me was the rant from Bob McKenzie during the second intermission.
A player like Denis Gauthier of the Philadelphia Flyers has a reputation in the National Hockey League. When a player like that hits someone hard, many like to jump to conclusions.
That being said, Gauthier’s hit from behind on Toronto’s Kyle Wellwood near the end of the regular season was a blatant cheap shot and it earned him a two-game suspension. He can say sorry all he wants but, obviously, Gauthier didn’t learn his lesson, because on Monday night he did it again against Thomas Vanek of the Buffalo Sabres. It was a dangerous play that resulted in a five minute major.
So Bob, did you actually watch the hit? Or did someone tell you about the hit to give you something to talk about during the intermission, since the way you ranted was really embarrassing since the hit really wasn’t that bad. View both hits and tell me how at all were they similar.
I think Colin Campbell and the NHL should suspend Gauthier. This guy should forfeit the right to play in the postseason. This was a nothing game because the score was so out of hand, and Gauthier went way over the line. That’s embarrassing and he should be suspended.
He should be suspended because of one hit, because of his reputation? So much for not jumping to any conclusions. This is one problem I have with the new NHL. Anyone with a reputation is getting punished. Boarding, instigating in the last 5 minutes of play is fine if you don’t have a reputation, but if you do then it will cost you.
The NHL should go to the minor hockey rule – if the referee says it’s a hit from behind, it’s an automatic two minutes and you’re out of the game.
Hits from behind happen throughout the game, the only time they get called which is usually a boarding call is when a player is a couple feet away from the boards. Sure Bob, let’s make all hits from behind illegal. I can see it now, players skating backwards down the ice. If they aren’t skating backwards they are all facing the boards so no one can touch them.
The good news though with all this ranting is that Denis Gauthier was not suspended, because simply the hit was not and should not be a suspendable hit, nor should it have been a game misconduct.
ok, the hit was illegal, so is hooking, so is high sticking. No one is arguing that it was a penalty. My argument is one, it wasn’t a major, two in no way should he have should have been giving a game misconduct and three McKenzie going off like he did was just over the top grandstanding.
I watched it again this morning before posting the article, that was not a cheapshot.
Whining, nope I’d probably say that was a BS call and leave it at that. Apparently you haven’t read my posts thru out the year, with penalties calls I play no favorites. I call them as I see them.
Yeah if the Flyers don’t change their play from game 2 you are probably right.
Not all of them, although there are a group of the older guys I would like to see gone after this season, the Flyers have a good handful of rookies to run with.
the hit was illegal and everyone knows it…just cause the flyers can’t keep up with the sabres gives them absolutley know right to start throwing in cheapshots…i’m sure if one of our guys hits one of your players like that you’d be whining and complaining…you guys are going down in four possibly five…mike…the flyers are washed up has beens
So, Mike, how do you feel about the Spearing that Gauthier put on Dumont tonight? In my mind another hit that is suspendable. Had Vanek gotten his neck broken would that have made the hit suspendable, or would that have just been an unfortunte side-effect of a hit that Gauthier should have never thrown.
There was a clear intent to injure in a game where the Flyers were going out of their way to take cheap shots at the Sabres out of frustration. The hit doesn’t exist in a vacuum…. context matters.
Oh, and btw, real class shown tonight by the Philly fans for booing Dumont as he was carried off the ice by 2 people and needed 4 to make it to the tunnel. Most probably a cracked rib, there.
Shame on the Sabres for not making them pay on the PP for this stuff.
Ta,
Another suspendable hit huh?
If there was intent there I would probably agree with you, but there wasn’t. If Dumont was healthy in that area I suspect he wouldn’t have even noticed.
I think your giving Gauthier too much credit. Since he was looking up ice he would have needed eyes in the side of his head to see Dumont coming up beside him, also x-ray vision to see thru his equipment to see where best to injure him.
Had Vanek sustained injury I do agree Gauthier might have been penalized more. That is typical of how the rulebook is setup, i.e. 2 minutes for high sticking, 4 minutes if you draw blood.
Some of the fans I can’t really defend, but there were also fans applauding as he was leaving the ice. There was no cracked rib, but you probably have read that by now.
Mike,
Wrong. Gauthier looked to his left, saw dumont, looked back, speared him, looked back, then blocked the shot. Intent was certainly there. They showed the thing on MSG only about 100 times and it was obvious that his intention was to put a stick in JP’s gut, why else was it there in the first friggin’ place?
BTW, even if we grant him the benefit of the doubt as to his intent why is it that Briere gets 2 games for ‘careless use of his stick’ but Gauthier is going to get nothing for this one? Simply because the Flyers can’t be left with 5 defensemen and Colin Campbell is a fatuous gas-bag with a chip on his shoulder against the Sabres.
The defense of this guy is getting ridiculous, I’m sorry and I disagree completely. I’m an eye for an eye kinda guy and part of me really wants someone to break their stick wrapping it around his head, but seeing as how the league frowns on actual punishment as opposed to their own convoluted brand of non-punishment this behaviour will be tolerated and continue ad nauseum.
Good luck with the rest of this. One day, when he breaks someone’s neck or takes out a spleen, I wonder if you’re still going to be defending him.
Oh, and please,some fans were clapping? Wow, 5 people have some humanity left in Philly. I guess I’ll file that in the very tarnished silver lining cloud.
Ta,
Watching the replay last night and watching it again this morning I didn’t see Gauthier move his head, but for you I will watch it again later. MSG didn’t show it 100 times, exaggerations don’t win you arguments or even help in that matter. Why was his stick there? Well that’s where he was holding it when Dumont skated up next to him.
I really can’t comment on Briere’s 2 game suspension since I didn’t see it. The AP story makes it sound accidental which if true the suspension doesn’t make much sense, but again I didn’t see it so I really cant say.
So you want some one to break their stick wrapping it around his head? Wow.
I figured an eye for an eye would be a stick to the gut or maybe a check into his shoulder from behind.
I am not defending anyone, just calling it as I see it.
I saw the same game thru the same feed that you did, it sounded like a lot more than 5 individuals clapping, and again when you exaggerate it doesn’t help your argument. Were more people booing than clapping? Maybe, I don’t know since what fans do at the games really doesn’t interest me much.