NHL suspends Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta for two games.

NHL suspends Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta for two games.

-- Chris Johnston of The Canadian Press via Twitter

over 2 years ago Ben Feldman 13 comments 0 recs |

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The whole process is so ridiculous that I can’t even formulate a reaction to this news.

by MarioD on Nov 28, 2009 4:36 PM EST reply actions

You don’t think Kaleta should have been suspended, Mario?

by Mitchell Green on Nov 28, 2009 4:41 PM EST up reply actions

Honestly, I don’t know. Was what he did worse than what Briere did? Yes. Was it worse than Ovechkin? Not really. I truly just have no reaction.

by MarioD on Nov 28, 2009 4:54 PM EST up reply actions

Was it worse than Ovechkin? Not really.

Yes really. Try two distinctions: First, Kaleta definitely saw AO coming, but it’s not that clear that Ross saw Kaleta coming. I think Ross was distracted by the other forechecker coming at him directly in his line of sight. Second, Kaleta nailed Ross right in the back on the numbers; AO hit Kaleta on the shoulder. AO deserved a boarding because of the awkward angle and dangerous distance from the boards, but didn’t deserve 5 and definitely didn’t deserve a suspension.

If consequences dictate the course of action, then it doesn't matter what's right, it's only wrong if you get caught. If consequences dictate the course of action, then I should play God...

by Rob Parker on Nov 28, 2009 5:28 PM EST up reply actions

Ross was up against the boards. The finish of Kaleta hitting Ross was what caused the injury. The entire time Kaleta was approaching Ross, Ross was up against the boards and it was a safe play.

Ovechkin hit Kaleta a foot away from the boards. It was a dangerous play the entire time Ovechkin approached him and was a more dangerous hit.

Even the Flyers agreed Ross was partially responsible for the injury. Kaleta bore no responsibility in the former hit.

by MarioD on Nov 28, 2009 5:40 PM EST up reply actions

Well I didn’t think that either hit deserved a suspension, but the Kaleta hit on Ross was worse. Kaleta saw AO coming from at least 20 feet away and put himself in that spot. If you’re going to accept that Ross was partially responsible then how can you ignore Kaleta’s responsibility. He looks right at AO and then proceeds to turn to further put himself in that spot. And AO still hit him squarely on the shoulder. The angle and distance were awkward, hence the boarding PIM, but it wasn’t an intent to injure and it shouldn’t be suspended.

Ovechkin hit Kaleta a foot away from the boards. It was a dangerous play the entire time Ovechkin approached him

Not true. It was a safe normal play for the majority of the play. It didn’t become dangerous until Kaleta turned his back like that. Kaleta had the options of manning up and going shoulder to shoulder into AO, or bitching out and throwing on the breaks. He did neither; he kept skating on his collision course with AO but decided to put himself in an extremely vulnerable position.

The finish of Kaleta hitting Ross was what caused the injury.

How, exactly, is that different from the AO hit on Kaleta? The finish of AO hitting Kaleta was what caused the injury. Isn’t that what this is all about?

If consequences dictate the course of action, then it doesn't matter what's right, it's only wrong if you get caught. If consequences dictate the course of action, then I should play God...

by Rob Parker on Nov 28, 2009 5:53 PM EST up reply actions

Kaleta saw AO coming from at least 20 feet away and put himself in that spot. If you’re going to accept that Ross was partially responsible then how can you ignore Kaleta’s responsibility.

Because Kaleta was in that position when Ovechkin was still 20 feet away. Plenty of time for Ovechkin to peel off and not make a vicious, life-threatening hit.

Ross turned into a vulnerable position when Kaleta was about three feet away. Too late for Kaleta to change anything.

It didn’t become dangerous until Kaleta turned his back like that.

That is patently false. If Kaleta hadn’t turned away, he would’ve been hit backwards instead of frontwards into the boards. Boarding has nothing to do with hitting from behind.

A boarding penalty shall be imposed on any player or goalkeeper who checks an opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to be thrown violently in the boards.
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The Referee, at his discretion, may assess a major penalty, based on the degree of violence of the impact with the boards, to a player or goalkeeper guilty of boarding an opponent.

Ovechkin was correctly assessed a major because the entire time, Kaleta was in the danger zone. He wasn’t close enough to be stood up against the boards (like Ross was) and he wasn’t far enough away to not fall into the boards on impact. He was in a position where a hit was going to cause him to be dangerously thrown into the boards, and Ovechkin came at him anyway, and went up high on him.

How, exactly, is that different from the AO hit on Kaleta? The finish of AO hitting Kaleta was what caused the injury.

Ross would be fine if Kaleta had hit him shoulder to shoulder instead of arm to head. (Because he was flush with the boards.)
Ovechkin went arm to head, too. But even if he went shoulder to shoulder, Kaleta would’ve been thrown precariously into the boards.

by MarioD on Nov 28, 2009 6:17 PM EST up reply actions

Because Kaleta was in that position when Ovechkin was still 20 feet away. Plenty of time for Ovechkin to peel off and not make a vicious, life-threatening hit.

But if he doesn’t turn it’s not vicious and life-threatening. He gets hit square in the chest and it’s a normal hit. The momentum from the turn is also a big reason he went into the boards like that. I said it should have been a boarding PIM, so I’m not sure why you are trying to persuade me otherwise. My point is that it didn’t deserve 5 or a suspension, and that it’s not a worse hit than the Kaleta on Ross hit.

He was in a position where a hit was going to cause him to be dangerously thrown into the boards, and Ovechkin came at him anyway, and went up high on him.

Not true, and AO could not have known that when he started tracking Kaleta down. If Kaleta pulls up, or plays the puck up the boards, it’s not a big deal. Kaleta tries to make a fancy pants pass through his legs back to the middle of the ice; that is what put him in the dangerous position. Kaleta also had plenty of time to get flush to the boards to make it a safer hit. There was none of the inevitability to the hit that you seem to find. While I understand the importance of being flush to the boards, it’s not an absolute excuse to hit a guy however you want. When you drill a guy in the back, that’s a bad hit. Dorsett was up against the boards when Neal hit him square in the back, that didn’t save Neal. Tucker was up against the boards when Ruutu hit him, didn’t save Ruutu. Sure, if Kaleta had been closer to the boards he would have been safer, but that was in his control, not Ovechkin’s. If you think players need to pull up and not hit a guy every time they are in a vulnerable position then I’m not exactly sure how you’re a Flyers fan.

It’s also absolutely laughable that you would say AO went up high on Kaleta after all the bitching and defending you did with regards to the Richards and Briere hits. AO absolutely did not take an arm to Kaleta’s head. You’re making shit up now. I also don’t see Kaleta hitting Ross in the head. It was a shoulder square to the back and that is what drove the head into the glass.

If consequences dictate the course of action, then it doesn't matter what's right, it's only wrong if you get caught. If consequences dictate the course of action, then I should play God...

by Rob Parker on Nov 28, 2009 6:32 PM EST up reply actions

Not true, and AO could not have known that when he started tracking Kaleta down. If Kaleta pulls up, or plays the puck up the boards, it’s not a big deal.
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Kaleta also had plenty of time to get flush to the boards to make it a safer hit.

This is an outrageous and ridiculous argument.

It’s the HITTING PLAYER’S responsibility not to injure someone. When Ovechkin lined up Kaleta, Kaleta was in a vulnerable position. (Unlike Ross, who was not in a vulnerable position when Kaleta lined him up.) At that instant, Ovechkin should never have started thinking “hit”.

It is absolutley, positively NOT Kaleta’s responsibility to get himself into a safe position to be boarded. That’s no different than saying a rape victim was asking for it.

It’s also absolutely laughable that you would say AO went up high on Kaleta after all the bitching and defending you did with regards to the Richards and Briere hits.

Richards had his arms tucked down and his stick on the ice.

Ovechkin, on the other hand, leads with his hands to the head and his stick in the air.

I never defended what Briere did, just pointed out that two Sharks did a similar thing, simultaneously to two Flyers three days earlier with no repercussions.

I also don’t see Kaleta hitting Ross in the head

Then you clearly need to invest in glasses, or contacts, or binoculars. From these two photos you can see the Kaleta’s shoulder hits Ross in the side of his head and spins his face into the glass.

by MarioD on Nov 28, 2009 6:56 PM EST up reply actions

Look, I know how you get when you dig in, so this argument is clearly meaningless. But hockey isn’t played in still frame shots. AO doesn’t make hand to head contact. All the contact is on the shoulder. You can watch and refuse to believe what you see. I have no doubt that’s how it’ll play out. Sure, Richards didn’t take an arm to Booth’s head, but he certainly led with his shoulder to the head. That’s a high hit. You seem to not understand the dynamics of throwing an ice hockey hit. Kaleta hits with his shoulder to Ross’ back, not head. Think what you want.

Even the Flyers agreed Ross was partially responsible for the injury.

What?!?!? That’s no different from saying the rape victim deserved it!

FWIW, I have glasses, contacts bother my eyes so I can’t wear them.

Thanks for the good times MarioD. It’s been real. Keep those blinders on and don’t ever let anyone challenge what you already know.

If consequences dictate the course of action, then it doesn't matter what's right, it's only wrong if you get caught. If consequences dictate the course of action, then I should play God...

by Rob Parker on Nov 28, 2009 7:11 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Ovechkin leads with his hands and stick and Richards leads with his shoulder and a tucked in arm. And you think the Richards hit is worse.

You’re a joke.

by MarioD on Nov 29, 2009 3:06 AM EST up reply actions

Hah!

Look, I know how you get when you dig in, so this argument is clearly meaningless… Keep those blinders on and don’t ever let anyone challenge what you already know.

Welcome to Broad Street Hockey!

Do you see what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps?

by mikefive on Nov 29, 2009 4:34 PM EST up reply actions

Keep those blinders on

Those damn Wild fans have their blinders on, too!

Kaleta was just suspended for a hit that seems to me to be no where near as bad as Ovechkin’s.
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Kaleta, however, hit a player who was standing against the boards.
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by MarioD on Nov 29, 2009 5:03 PM EST up reply actions