http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/40017-Campbell-Silly-nonsuspensions-crazy-comebacks-and-a-spectacular-Selanne.html

Just read this.

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I'm above blatantly spamming the boards with my blogging, but I'm writing a piece I'll be linking here that quotes Campbell's own blog entry. It's also got some quoted tweets from James Mirtle and a short email chat with him as well. Preview: by the letter of the law, Richards should've been assessed a major and game misconduct in game 4 and a match penalty in game 6.

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mechaphil

I would really love a reporter to ask Colin Campbell and the officials about that little piece of info about how Richards should have been tossed from Game 6.

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"Grier coming in over the line. He leaves it to Gaustad. The shot. THEY SCOOOREE!! RING UP ANOTHER ONE FOR THE GOOSE!!! HONK IF YA HEAR THE GOOSE!! 3-0 BUFFALO!"

ZOMG!! THE REFEREES MUST HAVE DISCRETION!!

The referees' "discretion" is also brought up haha

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mechaphil

I probably shouldn't be the one to say this after the elbow incident, also I'm not defending Richards in this one. I agree it was dirty, anything from behind is dirty.
However TSN now has Kerry Fraser in studio and whenever something like this happens he comes in to give us an opinion from a ref's p.o.v.. What he said about Richards' hit from behind is that because Connolly was able to brace himself(you can see him put his arm up) the right call was made. Not sure I agree with that, like I said anything from behind is dirty, but he is a ref and its interesting to hear what he thinks on these hits. But I dont think Fraser is taking into account where Connolly is when Richards hits him. He's a good 2-3 feet away which is a bad spot to be getting hit from behind into the boards.
Maybe Brian Burke is on to something with his bear hug rule.

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Driver of the Tyler Ennis Bandwagon, Ridin' shotgun on the Tyler Myers Bandwagon, chillin' on the Luke Adam Bandwagon


Eh

Kerry Fraser was notorious for making shitty decisions in line with the league's proclivity to "let them play". His opinion is worthless.

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mechaphil

Soooo like, were all the other dirty hits that Richards has thrown over the years just "accidental" or "incidental" or somehow the other players' fault? Poor Richards, always the victim of circumstance. Must be tough.

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I wouldn't say its worthless. He was a referee for 30 years in the NHL and is pretty much a sure thing for the hall of fame. Talking to other refs and league officials about how to call a game, I think his opinion matters even if us fans didn;t agree with some calls over his tenure.

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Driver of the Tyler Ennis Bandwagon, Ridin' shotgun on the Tyler Myers Bandwagon, chillin' on the Luke Adam Bandwagon


Eh

some???? I would say just about every game I watch him officiate (not just Sabres games) he made at least one (if not several) questionable calls or "non" calls.

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A former official isn't going to criticize current officials publicly.

So if there's a possibility for a player to "brace" himself, it's perfectly okay for someone to shove his face into the boards? Is that what he's saying? Because when Connolly goes for the puck he's staring at the puck, and not Richards. How can you brace yourself for something you don't see coming? He doesn't expect Richards to do that. But he does. And it's only a 2 minute. Even TSN was hinting that's a dirty play, saying Richards drove Connolly's face into the boards.

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"Counting all the assholes in the room, I'm definitely not alone!" ~ Michael Poulsen, Volbeat, Still Standing.

Here ya go, kids, my take on the hit. I could just copy paste it here, but I'd have to rework all the HTML into PHP and fuck that.

http://blackbluegold.wordpress.com/2011/04/25/mike-richards-minor-hit-deserved-a-major-reaction-but-got-nothing/

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mechaphil

this is the reply I made over there:

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I don't have anything more to add really, except that this whole scenario pisses me off in such a way that I can't really describe, from the point of view as both a Sabre fan and an NHL fan. It's just not right that a player can commit a penalty and knock out a player, make that team weaker for a pivotal game, and keep your team just as strong. Why don't all players try to knock a key opponent out of a series??? What's the harm in taking a chance? You definitely injure a player, yet very possibly stay in it yourself.

This is what I think will happen Tuesday night - Buffalo will not be better with simply a replacement of a rusty and possibly 90% Roy for Connolly. If we added Roy and still had Pominville, and added Hecht great, but we're still down at least three quality players - an entire 2nd scoring line. Philly will put too much pressure on Buffalo, not give up weak goals, and Buffalo's unbelievable effort so far will not be enough to overcome Philly's momentum and forecheck that keeps abusing our d-corps. Philly will be up a few late in the game and Laviolette will sit Richards for the last ten or so minutes. Buffalo will start shit all over the ice with anyone out there, but won't get a chance at the real M-Fer that deserves it. End of season...no apologies, no excuses, see ya in October. Connolly will be gone then and any retribution on Richards at that point will ring hollow

i'm not sure a game misconduct is enforced in the loosest version of the rules. it says injury to face or head, and reports say the injury was to the shoulder. there was no blood or bruise on the face and he did brace with his arms. i'm not saying i wouldn't have given him a misconduct, i'm saying it's understandable...BY THE BOOK, that he did not receive one.

there is no reason whatsoever that a major was not assessed though. even before the lockout, a boarding hit like that was a 5 minute penalty...no brainer.

Hmm, you're right. Should've been a match penalty.

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mechaphil

you mean at the loosest definition of the rules? or do you think i was trolling?

it's really really hard to call a match penalty. seeing intent on a hard hit happening that fast is really difficult. unless a stick is used as a weapon or a guy uppercuts someone who isn't paying attention, it's not obvious. we've all got to remember these are full grown, fully trained athletes who are playing vicious because they're backed into a corner. these decisions are also made in a split second.

i definitely would have had a 5 minute called and probably a game misconduct. i mean, i hate to use the term hockey play because of how it's used now, but that hit was born out of a hockey play. before you flip, read what i mean by that.

when i say hockey play, i mean it's a play you see in hockey. it is not uncommon to see people get pushed from the back because the refs don't call it. so at the beginning, it is a play you see consistently. however, the push/hit was not a hockey play. that is not something that should be allowed in the NHL, and Campbell apparently agrees when Jarret Stoll does it, but that's beside the point here.

so what i'm getting at is that it's hard to call a match penalty on something born out of a hockey play. charging is not a hockey play, attacking with a stick is not a hockey play, suckerpunching is not a hockey play. it's hard to justify someone trying to cause deliberate injuries when the beginning of it is something common.

definitely deserved a 5 minute penalty and a ten minute misconduct, to me. i would have been ok if he just served the 5 that made sense...the league would have definitely had to taken a look at it...2 five minute majors in one series is bad news bears.

No I wasn't trolling. Attempt to injure can elicit a match penalty.

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mechaphil

I had a response to my post over on The Hockey News when I was talking about this hit. This bitch actually compared Richards hit to Kaleta opening the bench door




First off.......Kaleta was on the bench and second.....Zherdev fell on his padded can.

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