My argument here is that Neal went for the guys head, and drove it into the boards. It's a dirty bullshit play. You dont drive heads into glass. PERIOD. Meet him on the body, use your shoulder or your hips and drive the mans BODY into the boards. Not his head.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010

looks more like he was bumping him on the shoulder and prucha had his head down. completely fine hockey play. like somebody already said...it's a contact sport, things happen even when nothing dirty does.

Well, whatever, I'm just saying the IIHF has it right. Any contact to the head, accidental, or on purpose is a penalty. You'd be shocked how few concussions occur in international play. The NHL has allowed it to become bloodsport. And that's not what hockey is. The IIHF games are plenty physical, but you don't see hardly any head hunting. Why is that?

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010

they aren't that physical. they also have about 2,600 square feet more in their games. more open ice = less injuries.

They don't have it right, and it showed in the USA game today, when that swiss player took a forearm to the head.

Awarding penalties for contact to the head means players look down at the puck much more often, putting themselves at risk, and making it extremely difficult for the defenseman playing them to hit them clean.

It's dangerous for both parties, AND it puts forwards at an unfair advantage.

I don't like it at all.

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Wheelhouse

So, do you happen to have an opinion on the padding currently worn by NHL players?

You apparently didn't watch the Swiss beat on our boys yesterday if you think that they aren't as physical.

I'm so sick of that generalization.

Yeah they play on a larger ice surface, but the whole point of my post was that, these guys also don't hit high. The NHL allows for high hits, and has for decades. Now they're realizing that it's causing injuries, in some cases ending careers. It's stupid that people get their rocks off on watching another human being get mauled. If you want to watch that, youtube bear attacks. I want to watch a hockey game, not watch guys afraid to skate in open ice, because some goon is going to run them, and blast them in the face with an elbow, or shoulder, or a pair of fists, and drive their head into the boards.

You and I all know that if that hit had happened to Ovechkin, Crosby, Iginla, etc, they NHL would have served up a big plate of suspension. Conversely if that hit happened to a Sabre, we'd all want Neal's head on a stick. Such as the Drury hit from Chris Niel a few years ago. I said it then and I'm saying it here. HITS TO THE HEAD ARE BULLSHIT. You simply shouldn't go hitting people high.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010

first, they're playing on NA ice, so they are going to seem more physical now. watching games on european ice is much less physical.

yeah, i hear nothing but a whole lot of crying. if players don't want to get hit high, they need to keep their heads up. if you cry foul and take away high shots by instituting a no head contact penalty, players will grow up playing with their heads down. players are stronger and faster then they ever have been before. now they need to get tougher and smarter about taking contact.

i have no problem with high hits. blatant hits to the head? no i don't like that. i don't like elbows. but a solid shoulder to shoulder? never an issue. if you don't want to get crunched, lower your center of gravity when you see someone coming.

the hit on Drury was not comparable to this hit. i don't care if Prucha was Jesus and Neal would have been fined 1000 games! that has nothing to do with this situation.

and for a dude who thinks it's stupid for some people to like heavy contact, it's kind of odd you train for MMA...supporting what you're inferred as disgusting.

its not really a dirty hit. the injury was caused by the glass. its seamless. therefore, much much harder.

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The glass AND probably the fact Neal is 6'2" and 206 lbs, while Prucha is generously listed as 6' and 175 lbs.

Neal had 51 penalty minutes last year, and has 48 this year. Coupled with the fact Neal is easily the better of the two players, it makes no sense for him to try and lay waste to Prucha.

I would have to comment on these cases one by one; there are clearly hits that are clearly illegal, and with malice. This one exhibits neither of those that I can see.

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"I'll rap you with my cane; you pencil necked geek!!"

-Bowler, imitating Freddy Blassie, at the very first M & G.

I didn't say I hate heavy contact, I just dont like contact to the HEAD in HOCKEY. I'm a huge proponent of MMA, and head strikes are part of the sport. We also aren't wearing Ice skates and moving around 25mph through the center zone while striking one another to the head.

It's like comparing apples to Automobiles how far the two are conceptually apart.

I mean, if you're trying to call me out and say I'm a fraud then just say it. Either way I'll sleep like a baby.

I'm just saying certain things belong in hockey and certain things don't. I dont feel that contact to the head belongs. I guess we could just agree to disagree on this point.

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"She's like plan C after an 18 pack"

Squanto 7/27/2010

i still dont see that hit as a dirty play. i blame the glass for any and all injury.

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i don't care if you train for it or not. i am not going to call you a fraud. i was responding to your point.

For once, we agree I don't even see what caused the injury.
Is there any update on his status?

Yeah, I mean I agree with Jay on hits to the head, but man I just don't really see it on this play. It didn't look like an especially vicious hit.

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Proud LGBTQQ Individual

Then I'm going to blame the gun for shooting somebody.

Yikes Timbo. That's a poor analogy, for a number of reasons; mainly because we aren't talking about a fatal incident.

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Wheelhouse

as i already pointed out, this is seamless glass, and the old kind. it was all the rage in mid 90s to early 2000s, but the glass is anchored deep in the boards, and are VERY tight. they dont give like the boards of today with the clear plastic dashers. thats why you dont see any more seamless glass, really, it was ruled dangerous. your head just bounces off it, rather then the glass giving.

its like someone pushing you, and you fall, and hit your head on the ground in a parking lot, and get hurt. sure, its their fault, slightly, but if you had fallen on grass, you would be ok.

buffalos boards of 03-09 were the best. they had clear dashers, and they gave a TON. why they changed them, i have no idea.

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I forgot the

haha, I think if someone pushes me down and I hit my head, that it is considerably more than 'slightly' their fault.