***Official 2007-2008 NHL Season Thread***

[Triumph36]

well the NHL screws it up again - Steve Downie suspended for 20 games. Can't wait until open ice hitting is banned from the game entirely.

[DonkeyKongSr]

That wasn't exactly a clean hit. It was revenge for a check he took earlier. Downie's hit was a jumping shoulder to the head. 20 games is excessive, but that was a cheap hit.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=kRzapo2BhA0

[Pudge714]

[ QUOTE ]
well the NHL screws it up again - Steve Downie suspended for 20 games. Can't wait until open ice hitting is banned from the game entirely.

[/ QUOTE ]
The NHL is so [censored] stupid.

[72off]

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Steve Downie is so [censored] stupid.

[/ QUOTE ]

[Triumph36]

It was a cheap hit, but McAmmond should have his head up.

McAmmond got hurt, so Downie gets 20 games. If McAmmond skates away, he gets 5 - *maybe*. Hell, Downie was probably just as likely to get hurt on that play as McAmmond.

results-oriented punishment once again

[CrazyPsycho]

[ QUOTE ]
i would bet that buffalo finishes higher than the rangers as well. i got monies too. the depth chart on their d goes:

Michal Rozsival
Paul Mara
Marek Malik
Fedor Tyutin
Daniel Girardi
Marc Staal


just today Barry Melrose (who has picked the last two cup winners) picked the Rangers to win the cup. Well I guess two years is still a good run. Overrated.

[/ QUOTE ]

That defense is f-ugly.

Paetsch is #6 for Buffalo(7 if Teppo comes back), and I'd take him over anyone on that list except Roszival.

Buffalo will surprise. Is that possible?

Derek Roy is going to be MASSIVE this year.

Of course, they are soft, so if they all start going down to injuries, they will suck the big one(there's a decent chance of that happening).

Roy/Vanek/Afinogenov
Pominville/Connolly/Kotalik
Hecht/Gaustad/Stafford
Peters/Mair/Paille

Tallinder/Campbell
Lydman/Spacek
Paetsch/Kalinin

Miller
Thibault

I'll take my chances, maybe then can fit in the right pieces come the trade deadline for a change.

[g-bebe]

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It was a cheap hit, but McAmmond should have his head up.

[/ QUOTE ]

yes, and brashear should have had his eyes on mcsorley's stick too, right?

20 games imo is a bit harsh, I think 15 would have been fine, but really, his feet left the ice, and it was purely on retaliation for a clean check earlier. it may be results orientated but he deserves this suspension

[Triumph36]

Crazy -

I would not take Nathan Paetsch over Michal Roszival, Paul Mara, Marek Malik, Fedor Tyutin, Daniel Girardi, or Marc Staal.

Hm, that's everyone isn't it? The Rangers' defense is underrated. They're not great by any stretch but they should get the job done. Girardi's going to be a solid defender for a long time. If Mara shakes off the aliens who were controlling his play in Boston, he could surprise some people. Staal's supposed to be a stud. If the Rangers don't make it far in the playoffs, it will be because of their defense, but they should suffer few problems in the regular season because of it.

[bravos1]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It was a cheap hit, but McAmmond should have his head up.

[/ QUOTE ]

yes, and brashear should have had his eyes on mcsorley's stick too, right?

20 games imo is a bit harsh, I think 15 would have been fine, but really, his feet left the ice, and it was purely on retaliation for a clean check earlier. it may be results orientated but he deserves this suspension

[/ QUOTE ]

This was my exact point in the other Downie thread.

[bluef0x]

Who cares if McAmmond's head was down or not, Downie broke almost every rule with one hit. If you look at the player interviews, every guy stated how disgusted they were with the hit. I think that says a lot.