SB Nation - David Booth

VIDEO: Panthers - Flyers - but mostly Panthers Highlights

Whale4ever — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:51:41 -0000

3 days ago: Florida Panthers' Michael Frolik (67), of the Czech Republic, gets a shot past Philadelphia Flyers goalie Michael Leighton (49) in the third period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, Dec. 21, 2009, in Philadelphia. Florida won 4-1. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Final - 12.21.2009	1	2	3	Total
Florida Panthers	1	1	2	4
Philadelphia Flyers	0	0	1	1

Complete Coverage >

So, how 'bout them Eagles?

Weiss, Vokoun lead Panthers to physical victory on road, smack Flyers 4-1

Whale4ever — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:41:33 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

3 days ago: Philadelphia Flyers' Daniel Carcillo (13) is sent flying after being checked by Florida Panthers' Jason Garrison (52) and Mike Duco (68) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, Dec. 21, 2009, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Points aplenty by the end of this one: Stephen Weiss (career-high 4 points), Michael Frolik (3), and Nathan Horton (2 goals) led the Florida offense over a confused and mentally battered Flyers club which displayed neither a semblance of confidence nor a peek at the realistic talent which is being paid top dollar.

Yes, the game got physical, as ~~hoped for~~ expected: Gregory Campbell and Ian Laperriere with fighting majors just 1:48 in, captains Bryan McCabe and Mike Richards at 3:42, and Mike Duco taking on a rather spry Laperriere at 13:26. Of the first period.

It settled down, however, as both teams gained - or lost - their legs in front of 19,323 paying patrons: a two-goal Florida lead going into the third frame was expanded upon (rather quickly) as the Cats banged in another duo within the opening six minutes.

Bottom Line: Panthers kept cool, resilient, and open to adjustment (rumors say that's what winning teams do) on a strange, bizarre evening. So much was expected: defending the honor of ~~Charlestown~~ Sunrise is never a short order, but this bunch made it look good (Laperriere's 30 minutes in penalties didn't hurt, yet keep in mind Dennis Seidenberg burned 17 of his own on a terrific night with 22:08, 1 assist, and a +1). Coach Pete DeBoer - again - kept his troops on-topic during what might have degenerated into bedlam with the entire league watching. Left Wachovia with the win, a healthy roster, and heretofore unbeknownst confidence...a combination hardly believable just days ago.

For the curious: Steve MacIntyre, understandably expected to log a healthy block of time, clocked 2 minutes on the ice (1 shot). Mike Duco got the lion's share of attention, logging 6:29 (5 pim) while garnering a boatload of money shots via Fox Sports Florida. Bryan Allen was a sparkplug as well (4 pim, 3 shots, 20:12 TOI).

Notes: Florida scored three power play goals. Philadelphia netminder Brian Boucher (hand injury) was yanked after allowing two goals on 13 shots; recent Carolina castoff Michael Leighton replaced him, stopping 15 of 17. Final SOG: PHI over FLA 31-30. McCabe, Allen, Seidenberg, and Duco all had at least 4 pim for the Cats, while Laperierre, Mike Richards ('member him?), and Danny Briere did the same for the Flyers.

Next up: Rangers on Wednesday.

Monday Caterwaul - Panthers Open Forum - "We Didn't Forget" Edition

Whale4ever — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 12:00:26 -0000

"I don't know if we're just going to run around and try to fight everybody we see,"

- Defenseman Keith Ballard, presumably joking, via the Sun-Sentinel

So, what's the topic of discussion for today? Weather sure is delightful...

Poll

A bloodbath tonight?

Inconsistent Pattern of Punishment Frustrating to NHL Players and Fans

Brandon Bibb — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:00:21 -0000

by Tony Gutierrez - AP

David Koci and Jarkko Ruutu were able to do this week what James Neal could not. Escape the Wheel of Justice. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

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Last month, James Neal became the first Dallas Stars player to fall victim to the NHL's campaign to eliminate headshots from the game, even though the league saw a few worse hits to make better examples from, but decided to take a pass.

This week, the league had two more chances to make examples out of players the same way Neal was made an example of. To nobody's surprise but to the frustration of many, they decided to pass.

It motivated my good friend, Joe Yerdon, to do a little further investigation over his excellent hockey blog, Gross Misconduct Hockey. I do suggest you check him out on a daily basis, even though he's a Red Wings fan.

Videos of the hits in question come after the jump.

First, let's look at David Koci's hit on Mike Green of the Washington Capitals.

5-0 game. Koci doesn't slow down one bit, and looks like he knows exactly what he's doing as he delivers a debilitating and illegal hit on an unsuspecting opponent.

If ever there was a clear cut case for a suspension, this is it. I mean, afterall, James Neal got two games for hitting Derek Dorsett from behind.

Not to mention, Koci has more of a checkered past, which is something the NHL takes into account EVERY TIME they review a hit.

Did Koci get suspended?

Well, we'll get to that here in a bit.

Because I have another video I want to show you. Specifically, because this hit looks a lot more like the Neal hit on Dorsett. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Jarkko Ruutu of the Ottawa Senators, hitting Buffalo's Patrick Kaleta.

Like Neal's hit on Dorsett, it wasn't really a dirty hit so much as it was a reckless hit on, once again, an unsuspecting player who had no way to defend himself. And the seamless glass in Ottawa probably played as much of a role in the injury to Kaleta as the hit, itself, did. It was, as Brad said about the Neal hit on Dorsett, a 'normal looking hockey play.'

Still, while the NHL never came out and gave a reason behind the suspension of James Neal, it was clear that the league was sending a message that headshots would not be tolerated.

Well, I guess this being a different month, that level of tolerance must have been lowered.

A pair of National Hockey League disciplinary hearings has resulted in fines, but not suspensions.

David Koci of the Colorado Avalanche has been fined for his hit on Washington Capitals defenceman Mike Green, while Ottawa Senators winger Jarkko Ruutu has been fined for his hit on Buffalo Sabres' Patrick Kaleta.

Koci, who averages 3 minutes 7 seconds of ice time per game, lined up Green and delivered a shoulder in between the neck and shoulder blade area of Green's jersey. Green did not see Koci coming and his visor smashed into the seamless glass at Pepsi Center.

Green, who had to be helped off the ice, was knocked woozy and left bleeding above his left eye.

Koci was assessed five minutes for boarding, five minutes for fighting after being engaged by Green's teammate John Erskine, and a game misconduct.

Ruutu received a game misconduct for boarding Kaleta in the opening minute of the second period of Wednesday's contest. Ruutu drove Kaleta's head into the glass and the Sabres pest needed to be helped off the ice.

For comparison sake, let me repost the video of Neal's hit on Dorsett.

Keep in mind as we go back in our DBD Time Machine that Neal's hit came after the league dropped the ball on Mike Richards' hit on David Booth and Rob Scuderi's rather ill-timed hip check that caused Jason Chimera to go awkwardly into the boards. I couldn't help but think that when Neal's suspension was handed down, it was handed down to quiet the league's critics, including Bob McKenzie, Peter Laviolette, and Mike Keenan, who hopped on their soapbox and castigated Neal's hit.

Laviolette and Keenan weren't on TSN's panel last night with Bob McKenzie. But Keith Jones and Craig MacTavish were alongside the veteran TSN journalist. And to their credit, they all said Koci and Ruutu deserved suspensions for almost the same reasons as to why TSN's panel said Neal deserved a suspension. In Koci's case, Jonesy even suggested that two games weren't enough and that he ought to have been hauled to New York for a face to face meeting with at least a 5 game suspension.

So good on them for showing some consistency.

And also laying the foundation for the next suspension to come down from the NHL. Because if we've learned anything this year, the league will seek to atone for their screwups by suspending the next poor sap who lays a headshot on an unsuspecting player.

And this vicious and frustrating cycle will continue until, as Hockey Joe puts it...

The league can’t make everyone happy here but coming up with some sort of concrete method to the madness regarding dirty play and suspensions for committing offenses like these has to come out of all this. There have been too many instances where we the fans and I’m sure the players as well are left scratching our collective heads wondering what is going through the head of Colin Campbell when he goes to his smoky back room to come up with some kind of action against offending players. Every other major sports league has some kind of step-ladder for doling out punishment for breaking the rules like this yet somehow the NHL can’t remove its head from its own ass to create their own.

Since Joe touched on the angle of what other sports leagues do, have you ever noticed how in the NFL, they don't ever fine or suspend a player based on the actions of a particular hit? They literally punish the act itself, irregardless if it results in an injury or not.

Classic examples include hits where a defended leads with the crown of his helmet. Or my favorite, the series of horse collar tackles that Roy Williams got fined for in 2007 before he horse collared Donovan McNabb of the Eagles in Week 15 and was suspended the following week at Carolina.

Sure, they also fine players for stupid crap. Pick any one of the many fines they've handed down to Chad Ochocinco this season. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if they fine him for wearing the jersey of the late Chris Henry to practice.

But I digress.

Point is, you hardly ever hear complaining about a lack of consistency in the NFL's pattern of punishment. That's because they have a level of transparency unlike any other league. Look no further than the fact they make their Director of Officiating available every week on the NFL Network to explain away controversial calls from the prior week's games.

Until the NHL adopts a similar level of transparency, this frustration from fans, players, coaches, and team officials will continue to occur.

Panthers forwards: is this it?

Whale4ever — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:16:29 -0000

A quick peek at the NHL Stats Page is all a Cats fan requires to sink into a further funk, even on the heels of a well-executed game in Pittsburgh Saturday night. Of course, the result was all too familiar...

Individually, some Panthers are finally producing what's been expected of them for some time: as has been widely reported, forwards Stephen Weiss and Nathan Horton - whipping boys of the highest order in Sunrise - have 20 and 19 points in the same number of games played, respectively. Who among the faithful are anything less than giddy over what these two have done to reverse their sagging fortunes? There are a lot of beaming Fantasy Hockey owners who gambled in their drafts...and won big.

Beyond those two, the year has been an offensive washout: Michael Frolik's two goals on Friday (his first since November 30th) give him nine on the season. Much-heralded "second-line center" (the organization's words) Steven Reinprecht has scored once in twelve games. Radek Dvorak (who has indeed wratcheted up the intensity this season) hasn't seen the back of a net in nine.

Who else among the forwards have any true offensive expectations on the shoulders? Rostislav Olesz and his 14 points? Teased year after year, we know better. Gregory Campbell or Kamil Kreps, who are a combined -13? "Suitcase" Shawn Matthias? Or perhaps faceoff whizz Dominic Moore, who - by no fault of his own - has an unfortunate habit of getting hurt. A lot.

"But Whale! But Whale! What of David Booth and Cory Stillman? Where would the Cats be with them in the lineup?"

Undoubtedly leading the Eastern Conference in every major category.

What's it matter? They're not here now and probably won't be for some time. Based upon the little we've heard through the Panthers grapevine, it's entirely conceivable Booth won't return at all this season. Concussions tend to be nasty and unpredictable, and this one - his first - is no different. At least we know whom to hate when the postseason fires up.

Stillman is shooting for a late-December rollout, but realistically let's guess mid-January. I love and miss Stiller's hustle, leadership, and contributions as much as the next fan, but if you're hanging Florida's playoff fortunes on the return of a winger who celebrates his 36th birthday in a week, I've got some ProSet hockey cards from 1992 up for sale that are due to explode in value soon. Soon.

What to do, what to do?

NHL gets Jovanovski suspension right

zyllyx — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:46:07 -0000

More photos » by Ross D. Franklin - AP

17 days ago: Phoenix Coyotes' Ed Jovanovski (55) checks Minnesota Wild's Andrew Ebbett, bottom, as Coyotes' Robert Lang, right, of the Czech Republic, tries to avoid the collision in the third period during an NHL hockey game Monday, Dec. 7, 2009, in Glendale, Ariz. The Coyotes defeated the Wild 2-0. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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Don't skate with your head down. Bad things will happen.

If you've ever played a single shift of competitive contact ice hockey, that is one of the first lessons you are taught. You either learn that lesson from your coaches... or from the little birdies that circle your head after you get destroyed by an opponent with better situational awareness than you have.

That's why some Phoenix Coyotes fans are peeved today that Ed Jovanovski will be missing the next two NHL games for the team.

But with all due respect to my fellow fans, I think they need to do what Jovo himself has to do - suck it up and take it like a man. (Even the women.)

In Monday night's game against the Minnesota Wild, Jovanovski caught Wild forward Andrew Ebbett skating into the offensive zone with his head down. As Ebbett swept towards the right half-boards, Jovo skated to intercept. The big Coyotes blueliner caught Ebbett with his forearm and left glove hand smack in the head, and Ebbett crumpled to the ice with blood flowing from a glove-induced cut. Ebbett would get back to his feet but stumble around the ice until the referee's whistle about twenty seconds later.

If you haven't seen the hit itself, here it is:

Now, it's pretty clear that Ebbett had his head down and was more concerned about his skating than the rather large Coyote curling on a collision course with him. There should be no question about what Ebbett deserved for his inattention - the euphemism is "getting rubbed out," but it really means being suitably destroyed by a hard check.

It's pretty obvious that Jovanovski got the job done. What's at issue is the tools he used and how he used them.

Jovo apologists naturally believe that the smaller Ebbett's size was the reason why Big Ed's forearm connected with the Minnesota forward's face (the argument being that Jovo would have to be on his knees to deliver a body check on a guy that small). There's enough gray area in the height differential, they say, to make the hit at least questionable instead of the cheap shot that it obviously was.

The referees apparently agreed, because Jovanovski didn't get penalized at all for the play. Some Coyotes fans believed that the non-call proved that the hit wasn't dirty (although the idea that a non-call should indicate that a hit is clean is an ironic one, considering the hue and cry over hits like Patrick Kaleta's destruction of Petr Prucha which led to no penalties or suspensions for Kaleta but drew an instigator and misconduct for Martin Hanzal, who fought Kaleta after the hit).

But, for once, Colin Campbell and the League of Extraordinarily Subjective Gentlemen that make up the NHL disciplinary office got the post-game call right. The suspension was the right call because head shots like Jovo's are a completely unnecessary and hazardous part of the game of hockey and should be punished quickly and decisively. The idea that head shots are unavoidable is ridiculous and hockey players know it - they simply take advantage of the erroneous fan sentiment to the contrary and the historic subjectivity of the league to get away with them (see: Mike Richards and David Booth).

This is not to say that the league should take physicality out of the game. A head-shot-free NHL would simply require players to modify their aim a bit. And that's the truth, no matter what the hysterical traditionalist lobby would have you believe. More truth? Head-shotting is the lazy player's way of body checking. It is a cheap facsimilie of a hockey play that once was the prime method of separating a player from the puck. A head shot is as lazy and reprehensible for players who want to play the game right as it would be for a skater to skate with his head down or admire a pass crossing the offensive blue line.

If there is a reason for Coyotes fans to be outraged at the NHL for Jovanovski's suspension, it should be because the league still applies arbitrary and subjective criteria to head shots instead of a consistent and serious penalty for the offense - in other words, that Jovo should (rightly) be penalized and others are (wrongly) left untouched. The fact that the NHL does not take decisive unilateral action only serves to make the problem worse - leading fringe players to try and get their names out on ESPN, TSN, and YouTube by head-shotting an opponent and thereby raising their profile, or more "mainstream" players to do so to create a reputation of toughness in the league that will help them when contract negotiations are up. In other words, as long as there is no concrete and devastating penalty for head-shotting, it will remain a viable (and, in some cases, unpunished) course of action for players.

Fortunately for the Coyotes, they can play and win with Jovanovski out of the lineup. So fans shouldn't worry too much about the effects of Big Ed's suspension. But even if we had to roll with someone like, say, David Hale or Matt Jones on the blueline as a result, I would think that the bigger issue would be what we would have to live with if Jovo got away with a cheap shot. The Coyotes are already under the gun because of the NHL's ownership and the attitude towards our market - adding "cheap-shotting" to the list of our perceived crimes against hockey is something we could live without.

Thrashers show up late, bury Panthers 2-1 in SO

Whale4ever — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 03:37:57 -0000

More photos » by Lynne Sladky - AP

19 days ago: Florida Panthers left wing Rostislav Olesz (85), of the Czech Republic, collides with Atlanta Thrashers goalie Johan Hedberg, of Sweden, center, in the second period during an NHL hockey game in Sunrise, Fla., Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009. At right is Atlanta Thrashers defenseman Anssi Salmela, of Finland. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

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The good stuff first: Florida played a game tonight; came out shooting hard and often against Johan Hedberg and his suddenly-revived career, blasting the veteran netminder with 12 quality shots in the first period. The guy simply channeled The Force from start to finish. End of story.

The bad: whether legitimate or otherwise, the Cats found themselves on the hind end of far too many odd-man opportunities, including fighting off a five-minute major and game misconduct assessed to Michael Frolik for - presumably - boarding and "intent to injure" in the second frame. Yep, Frolik. He of 22 penalty minutes in 2008-09. Whatever...the Panthers stayed loose and confident throughout, and kept the net clean for another two minutes thanks to a Bryan McCabe "elbowing" call.

Penalties aside, the Panthers and Thrashers put on a production of "Playoff What-if", with each goaltender almost literally standing on his head, Tomas Vokoun stopping 36 shots and Hedberg laying a brick wall on 30. Both sides threw out their big guns; this was not a snoozefest. And Florida's Stephen Weiss was the go-to dood once more, banging home his 13th at 2:36 of the third period.

As has become customary news in recent days for Florida fans, the probable outcome - Atlanta scoring in the final minute of regulation to tie it - thankfully never materialized.

Instead, Ilya Kovalchuk scored four seconds prior to the final minute of regulation, thereby providing far less drama than games of late.

Overtime came and went as it has so many times this year. On to the shootout. Kovalchuk does the expected and places the Cats in an early hole. Weiss is stopped. Horton hit a post. Reinprecht scored. Then came everyone's favorite choice - opponents included - for shootout duty: Rusty Olesz. Does "backhand at the right-side of the net" sound familiar?

It did to Hedberg, who read it like a cheap novel. Up comes our new friend Rich Peverley, whose shot Vokoun had no chance on, put the game away. It's a point gained, and considering the past few weeks, a welcome point. But a point given to another Southeastern team.

Personal view: As stated, the Panthers showed up. Don't wish to drive up hopes of division championships with that statement, but they were there, and quite probably put a scare into the Thrashers, if only for 58+ minutes. Vokoun was rock-solid, the lines were well-managed, and there was no question a lot of work went into prepping for this one. A game-breaking forward - looking beyond David Booth here - would likely have made all the difference. Again. Whatever...they got to overtime, and with Tampa Bay, Carolina, and Washington all victorious this evening, Florida gained a point on, um, Toronto.

Game 29 Preview: Avalanche at Panthers

David Driscoll-Carignan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:00:25 -0000


Colorado Avalanche	5:30 MT / 7:30 ET / 12:30 GMT	Florida Panthers
15-8-5	December 2nd, 2009	10-12-4
35 pts	BankAtlantic Center	24 pts
4th in West	Sunrise, FL	13th in East

The Avalanche got a big win on Monday as they topped the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-0 on Monday. They'd like to make it 2-for-Florida tonight as they face off against a Florida Panthers that is, well, kind of meh. The Panthers aren't doing very well in any major statistical category, they've lost 5 straight, and are currently missing a couple of their best players in David Booth, Cory Stillman and Tomas Vokoun

Per Dater, Craig Anderson is the starter. I know it's all serendipitous to have the former Panther Anderson in there, with another game tomorrow night in Pittsburgh, this really should be Peter Budaj's game. Unkind or not, the Panthers are a team you throw your backup against. But, at least we'll get to see Andy firmly focused on...the ice girls. We already know the starter for the Panthers will be Scott Clemmenson (facing the Avalanche for the 1st time in his career). He's in for Vokoun, recovering from nearly being Van Gogh'd by defenseman Keith Ballard.

Speaking of Ballard, there are a bunch of former Avs on the Panthers. Steven Reinprecht is 2nd on the team in scoring. Jordan Leopold is averaging 22 minutes per game and is playing in all situations (he's tops on the team in PK time). And the Panthers also have the enigmatic Victor Oreskovich, a former 2nd round pick of the Avs who retired from hockey early and is attempting a comeback this year.

Happy 23rd birthday today to Kyle Cumiskey. *beep beep*.

Tale of the Tape

(all rankings are from before Tuesday games)

Colorado			Florida
5th	35	Points	26th	24
10th	2.96	GF/G	23rd	2.58
21st	2.82	GA/G	27th	3.23
20th	19.4	PP%	28th	13.9
16th	80.8	PK%	29th	74.8
30th	26	S/G	27th	27.6
26th	32.8	SA/G	29th	35.1
29th	46.6	FO%	11th	49.5
14th	13.4	PIM/G	6th	11.3
Stastny	26 pts	Top Scorer	Horton	22 pts

Avalanche vs Panthers coverage

Litter Box Cats

Fearless Opinion: Head Shots

Sean Zandberg — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:16:12 -0000

Continuing on with trying to entertain Canucks fans during the long layoff, I've decided to think outside the Nucks box.

I have to try to contain my anger when the head shot issue is continually brought up on mainstream hockey shows and websites, and I have to try to contain it now. What follows is solely my opinion and I don't care if people disagree with me or not. In fact I welcome the conversation.

I have no shame in admitting that I am a fan of old school hockey. Head shots are not a new phenomenon in the NHL and beyond. It has been going on for years, as Mike Milbury pointed out on CBC's Satellite Hotstove last Saturday night. He is correct. Watch a Scott Stevens hit highlight reel as one example and you can see that also. In the old days, and very rarely today, players would take a head shot and scramble in 10 different directions trying to get to the bench because they got their bell rung. That was the "manly" thing to do. I've always respected that. Nowadays, with all the concussion issues, precautionary procedures by team doctors (stretchers and the like) and change of protective gear (which I'll get more into later), players get smoked and lay on the ice motionless, whether because they are knocked out cold, or are playing it safe.

While I still think the elbowing/charging rules are good ones, I don't want the NHL to change the rules now involving shoulder shots to the head. In a game filled with fast and size-able players, hits in all forms can happen in an instant. I don't want this cloud of fear hanging over aggressive player's heads that they cannot hit someone for fear that they might make contact with the opposing player's head and thus be disciplined for it. I have so many reasons for feeling this way.

-It's f**king hockey! I love hits! Clean hits! Shoulder-to-the-head included, if that comes to pass.

-The various heights of players. Guys like Chris Pronger or Zdeno Chara decking a shorter player (or, like Scott Stevens smoking Paul Kariya for example) are going to lead to a head shot based on that. So these guys need to change their game now to avoid it? Give me a break. The OHL is always "leading the way" with potential new NHL rules, but you can hear the sentiments of Mike Kelly, then coach of the Mississauga Ice Dog's opinion of bigger players hitting less in this clip. "Then that 6'4" defenceman has to avoid the check" he says. I don't think so!

-Whatever happened to players being responsible for their own actions? If you want to cut in the middle with the puck over the opposing team's blue line you're asking for it. If you want to dish a pass and admire it by turning your head, you're asking for it. If you want to bend over and poke at the puck when an opposing player is coming at you, you're asking for it. Like Don Cherry said recently, players have to be aware of who is on the ice for the opposing team at all times.

Allow me to be a little bit random by showing some clips.

1. Mike Richards tags David Booth

A. Cutting in the middle

B. Admiring his pass

2. Doug Weight wacks Brandon Sutter

A. Reaching for the puck with Weight coming at him.

B. Weight may have been trying to make a shoulder-to-shoulder blow but it was too late to react after Sutter leans forward. How is the NHL going to ban head shots when this kind of thing happens? Video review to decipher whether or not the hit was clean? Or does he get a game misconduct immediately? The latter is horse shit.

3. Michael Liambas crushes Ben Fanelli (OHL)

Liambas is suspended for the entire season.

A. Fanelli shouldn't be turning his back there. Not along the boards like that. Hate to see him hurt that badly though. B. Can the NHL/OHL or whoever put some more slack in the boards/glass? It was like Fanelli hit a brick wall. No give in that glass. I see his helmet popped off too.

So, randomness and disturbing images aside, I stand by my point. I don't think head shots should be eliminated. What I think should be changed is:

1. Player awareness on the ice. Who's out there for the opposing team? Don't cut in the middle. Don't admire your passes. Don't turn your back along the boards when an opposing player is coming at you.

2. Every arena should have more flexible glass. Remember how it was in the Forum in Los Angeles? Yeah, just like that.

3. Here is a real biggy that Don Cherry alluded to years ago, and I still think holds true to today:

Get rid of the hard plastic elbow/shoulder pads.

I see that I represent a minority on this issue. I don't care. That's kind of a bogus poll in the wording of it. Like I said before, it does change how a player who is over 6'4" plays his game. He should not be subjected to that.

The intensity and physicality of the game will be somewhat compromised. Great players like Mike Richards will have their game suffer as a result. It's a game of seconds or less when it comes to hits. Head shots happen, whether intentionally or not and whether the League tries to stop it or not.

I'd get into the instigator rule and players "policing" this kind of thing, but I don't need to. I'm old school. Figure it out.

I could go on about this all day. Opinions?

A Primer on Concussions

BReynolds — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:57:30 -0000

If you are like me, and I am guessing most of you would never admit to it, you may have little idea of what exactly a concussion is. Sure, we can all pick up on the fact that it is a head injury, or even a brain injury, but what exactly is happening? What is the story with one guy coming back in two days, and another guy loses his career?

Since they seem to not be going away, make the jump for some video and some talk about what happens in a concussion and what exactly it means.

I talked to a handful of people, medical people mind you, but no brain-specializing medical people. They all said basically the same thing. They (medical folk) don't know squat about concussions. They know concussions are more serious than previously believed, and they know that they are aware that they know very little.

As our former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld once said in a way only he can, "as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."

Still with me? No? OK, me either really. It is still a mind boggling quote. The basic idea stands, though. With concussions, the doctors and medical people at least know that they don't know much. It is a starting point at the very least.

Maybe defining what exactly a concussion is will help:

That wasn't as helpful as I had hoped, so here is an animation, a very basic one, of what happens to cause a concussion:

Basically, the brain sits in a sac of fluid, and it is traveling at the same speed as the body. When the body experiences a sudden stop, say from Mike Richards' elbow, the brain does not have the ability to stop itself from slamming into the front of the skull and bouncing back. Then it accelerates again, to the same sped the body is traveling only to experience another sudden stop caused by, say, a giant sheet of ice, and slamming into the back of the skull.

Until someone invents a type of seat belt for the brain, players need to rely on their helmet to protect them. The helmets currently used in the NHL do not seem to be useful in this regard, and so several competing versions of new helmets have popped up, the most popular being championed by Mark Messier.

Back to concussions and the severity of the issue. Players in the mid seventies would have been called all kinds of girls names and sent back on the ice after a concussion. Today, they are shut down for weeks at a time, only to show progress and months later suffer a set back and be shut down again.

What changed? The ability to properly diagnose the issue and to share data. In the seventies if someone died in Russia from concussion complications, no one in New York would have known. Today, we would be able to know that in a second. Doctors now have the beginning of a data base to properly diagnose what is happening and attempt to save the players career and / or life.

The difference between a player who comes back in a day (Victor Hedman) and a player who is still living in a world of hurt (David Booth, or Pierre-Marc Bouchard for the hometown fans) is a mystery. No one can pin point exactly when Butch suffered his concussion, and he has been out of play for a long time now. While Booth suffered an obvious and very traumatic collision, Bouchard did not. Both have missed long term playing time.

The most innocuous hit can turn into a disaster, and the most brutal hit can turn out to be nothing. What makes the difference is not completely understood. Shape of the players skull in relation to the brain? The amount of fluid protecting the brain at the time of impact? Angle and direction of travel? Most likely all of the above.

Until medical science finds a way to prevent concussions, they are not going to go away in contact sports. It is a menace we will have to live with for some time. New helmets and new research will continue to help. The fastest and best way for concussions to be prevented? How about a little respect out on the ice for your fellow human being? That would certainly be a good start.

One final thought on this, straight from my own twisted mind. Where are the enforcers of the league on this? Screw the instigator penalty. You are going to tell me that an extra two minute penalty, a penalty kill, or even the loss of two points out of a possible 164 for the year are going to stop you from standing up for your teammate? Come on. Jump the boards, skate over, and pound the guy into oblivion. It's your job. The team and the fans will understand that you have to take a suspension, and you know what? We will give you a standing ovation in your first game back. Your jersey will become the hottest selling in the pro shop, and the next time Mike Richards comes to town, he may actually think twice about leveling your boy skating through the neutral zone, head down or not.

-Buddha