OT: Non-stop Brawl last night NYI and PIT
It's a slow day on the board so I figured it wouldn't hurt to post this.
Last night's game between The Islanders and Penguins got out of hand when the Islanders took a huge lead early in the game. Brawl after brawl after brawl ensued.
This is the first time I've ever seen a player fight a goalie. Definitely worth a watch if you have the time.
EDIT: Video embedded below. Couldn't get it to work in the OP for some reason.
February 12th, 2011 at 1:27 PM ^
Fun fact the Penguins finished the game with only 2 guys left on the bench.
February 12th, 2011 at 2:33 PM ^
This is one of the fun differences between hockey and other sports. NHL announcers don't even bother pretending to be sad when this happens, like their counterparts in other sports.
When a fight breaks out in an NBA game:
"Well, you don't ever want to see this. This is just ugly for the game."
When a fight breaks out in an NHL game:
"Oh, here we go! Fight #1 of the night!"
February 12th, 2011 at 2:45 PM ^
Did you notice The Tale of The Tape drop down screen during the second fight?
February 12th, 2011 at 5:58 PM ^
Wait... that wasn't Slap Shot?
I'm not sure which I found more amusing: that they had that notepad out to calculate the penalties, or the fact that the Youtube clip was 17 MINUTES LONG.
February 12th, 2011 at 1:10 PM ^
It's a shame Matt Cooke was a scratch. He needs an ass whoopin'.
February 12th, 2011 at 1:32 PM ^
Everyone on the Penguins [edit: who plays sports in Pittsburgh] needs an ass-whoopin'.
February 12th, 2011 at 1:59 PM ^
1. Yes, good call.
2. Yes, good call.
February 12th, 2011 at 2:30 PM ^
except
lamarr woodley
February 12th, 2011 at 3:41 PM ^
I don't really have anything against the Pirates either.
February 12th, 2011 at 5:20 PM ^
have anything against the Pirates. Why bother having a grudge against the sorriest franchise for the last two decades? They're bad enough and that's a punishment for them
February 12th, 2011 at 3:00 PM ^
As a caps fan, 100% in agreement.
February 12th, 2011 at 10:07 PM ^
February 12th, 2011 at 1:11 PM ^
Toilet Paper Pryor had been on it and gotten his ass kicked. Would had been great to see that go down ! Regardless that whole brawl wa awesome.
February 12th, 2011 at 1:12 PM ^
nothin better..
February 12th, 2011 at 1:32 PM ^
Old. Time. Hockey.
February 12th, 2011 at 1:36 PM ^
I hate how the entire league is smitten by the Pens; wherein they can do no wrong...
February 12th, 2011 at 10:19 PM ^
February 12th, 2011 at 2:01 PM ^
Talbot looked a lot like Lemieux, didn't he?
February 12th, 2011 at 2:09 PM ^
He is French Canadian...so there is one comparison. Lemieux was more skilled and Talbott is probably more of a fighter, but they are close.
February 12th, 2011 at 2:11 PM ^
It's a little different when you are randomly jumped from behind.
February 12th, 2011 at 2:17 PM ^
I never played organized hockey, but have always respected the toughness of those that have, especially at this level. However, Max Talbot seems to display the same type of cowardess that Claude Lemieux did.
@MichiganStudent, I was referring to the turtling.
@Mstier, I understand the initial shock would cause a certain defense mechanism. However, after 5 seconds, I think the time has come to return fire.
February 12th, 2011 at 4:25 PM ^
I'm pretty sure Talbot had already fought at least once in the game, if not more. He's an agitator, not a heavy-weight. I'm guessing he was just sick of being the Islanders target. I think you're right, he probably could have fought again here. But at this point in the game, when you're already as shorthanded as the peguins are, why even give in to the Islanders goonery at this point.
February 12th, 2011 at 2:05 PM ^
February 12th, 2011 at 10:13 PM ^
February 12th, 2011 at 2:05 PM ^
funnest hockey I've watched in a long time..... thanks for posting +1
February 12th, 2011 at 2:08 PM ^
Awesome game. I hate Pittsburgh with a passion so this really pleased me. What didn't please me though is how some of the NYI initiated fights. Gilles hit on Tangradi was a high hit and relatively late, and that sucker punch that missed was reminiscent of Bertuzzi on Moore. Both don't have a place in the game. Other than that, I loved it.
February 12th, 2011 at 2:32 PM ^
That sucker punch was not much like Bertuzzi on Moore. What ppl dont seem to ever recall is that it wasnt so much the punch that Todd swung (which was far more from behind), but the way he landed on Moore's neck after he fell that caused the most damage.
February 12th, 2011 at 3:12 PM ^
Is that a hint of Bertuzzi apologism?
The point is that Bertuzzi did sucker punch the guy and then took Moore to the ice (breaking his neck in the process). I hope Bertuzzi plays ten more years for the Wings so he can pay Steve Moore what he owes him.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman attempted to get Bertuzzi and Moore to agree on an out-of-court settlement in the CAD$19.5 million lawsuit filed by Moore. Bertuzzi offered $350,000 to settle the case, an amount which was called "an insult" by Moore's lawyer.
February 12th, 2011 at 4:48 PM ^
Unless you have a poor sense of judgement, by saying Bertuzzi swung at Cooke from further behind him is saying Bertuzzi's shot was MORE of a cheap shot than the isles player's punch.
Man, why do I even have to explain that >.<
February 12th, 2011 at 4:58 PM ^
I am still trying to descipher whatever the point is you were seeking to make there.
I was just speaking to the Bertuzzi apologism.
February 12th, 2011 at 3:31 PM ^
The punch KO'd Moore, so he couldn't do anything to try to break his fall.
February 12th, 2011 at 2:10 PM ^
This was pathetic and the league needs to do something about it. Gillies charges Tangradi (22 year old prospect called up because of the pens injuries) and delivers an elbow to his head, and then continues to punch him while he is down and clearly hurt! Then Matt Martin does his best Bertuzzi impression and sucker punches Talbot in the head from behind at center ice.
<br>
<br>The islanders called most of these goons from the AHL just for this game. What, did they want "revenge" for johnson ko'ing depietro in a fight he willingly agreed to enter?
<br>
<br>Congrats NY, you beat a glorifies AHL team.
February 12th, 2011 at 2:52 PM ^
The Islanders themselves are a glorified AHL team.
Let's not forget that Talbot threw that check that gave Comeau a concussion last time the two teams played, so Talbot wasn't exactly an innocent target. It doesn't justify a sucker punch, but when your team complains and promises retribution (look back at the talk about Dave Steckel after his collision with Crosby in the Winter Classic), you have to expect that some retribution for knocking your goalie out or giving one of your better players a concussion is on its way.
February 12th, 2011 at 4:26 PM ^
I disagree. Talbot threw a LEGAL check, shoulder first, into the chest of Blake Comeau who was skating around the blue line with his head down. That's a hockey play, and though the Islanders were on the unfortunate end of things, it didn't warrant retribution.
Look, I'm not trying to stand up for a team I don't like. Guys like Matt Cooke are a disgrace to the league. But the thuggary on display in the game last night was at that level or worse. Speaking objectively, it was out of line what the Islanders did, and much of it was premeditated with the callups of guys like Haley.
I mean, it's one thing when the Red Wings went after Lemieux. He deserved it. If the Bruins would have gone (harder) after Matt Cooke, I'd agree that he deserved it as well. But I can't say the same for Talbot, and ESPECIALLY not Tangradi.
February 12th, 2011 at 4:36 PM ^
Well the Islanders thought the Talbot hit was dirty, and that's really all that matters.
I think this game was a long time coming for the Islanders, who have generally been disrespected and looked down upon by the rest of the league for years now. The last Pens game was the final straw in a long line of indignities. Seeing their franchise goalie have his face broken in the final moments of a game and the Pens bench laugh and whop it up is what caused last night's mele. The message sent last night is "We might not be a playoff team but if you disrespect us we will fuck you up." I think it worked.
February 12th, 2011 at 4:58 PM ^
No one knew Dipietro broke his face until the next day. When guys win fights in convincing fashion, their teams "whop" it up. You win, you celebrate. I don't think the Penguins did anything wrong by celebrating a huge KO punch in a fight mutally agreed upon by Johnson and Dipietro.
No one is going to respect the Islanders any more because of this. This wasn't just a player or two out of control. The Islanders called up right before the game a handful of players who are career AHL goons. This was an embarrasement from the management on down, and I highly doubt teams/players around the league will be respecting the Islanders any time soon. Have fun attracting free agents.
February 12th, 2011 at 5:50 PM ^
Your sweetheart Sydney is calling you back to bed mstier. You'd better stop posting, he wants you to serve him pancakes in the nude...
February 12th, 2011 at 6:17 PM ^
Well I only know one Sydney, and if she's calling me to bed, then hot damn!
February 12th, 2011 at 5:51 PM ^
I didn't say Talbot's hit wasn't legal. But when you hurt a player, regardless of whether the hit was legal or not, chances are someone is going to fight you over it. Dave Steckel's collision with Crosby wasn't dirty, it was an innocuous collision between two players who, as far as I could tell from the replays, didn't see each other until the last minute, and it was unfortunate that Crosby's head took the brunt of the force. I've been on both sides of that several times in my playing "career". But the fact that Crosby got hurt was the reason everyone on the Penguins was angry. If Crosby didn't get hurt, nobody would have cared, just like Talbot's hit on Comeau.
And I know you implied you aren't a Penguins fan (I'm not either, but I do live in Pittsburgh), but let's also consider the fact that Pittsburgh has been one of the dirtiest teams all season, as evidenced by the fact that they lead the league in minors (by 34), majors (by 7), total PIMs (by 95), and PIMs per game (by 1). The only team that's really close to them in PIMs is the Islanders - mostly because they combined for 346 yesterday, but still. If we ignore the 163 PIMs they earned last night, they're still almost 100 PIMs up over Dallas (3rd in PIMs).
February 12th, 2011 at 6:14 PM ^
I'm not sure if PIM is exactly indicative of what I consider dirty play...i.e. Interference, hooking, etc are illegal but not necessarily dirty in my opinion. That said, I agree that Pittsburgh is dirty. I wouldn't call talbot, Tangradi, and Johnson part of the problem though, and I think it is indicative that the only players with hearings today are islanders.
February 12th, 2011 at 2:20 PM ^
I hate this kind of crap...give me an evening at Yost and a college hockey game any day. This is an embarrassment to the NHL.
February 12th, 2011 at 3:50 PM ^
While I wouldn't want this type of thing to be an every game occurrence by any means, I think fighting in hockey is entertaining, and furthermore, typically harmless and fine. I am amused by people who are actually outraged by it, as if there was somehow something wrong with two guys (hockey fights are usually mutual) punching each other. There is not. When I played I was in the camp of not allowing fighting, just like other sports, but I've come to believe that it is (apart from blatant attacks, which should be banned and heavily punished) a giant "so what?" as well as very entertaining.
February 12th, 2011 at 6:30 PM ^
What I don't like about a game with fight after fight, is that it destroys the flow of the game. I assume you watch olympic hockey when you have the best talent in the world playing without fights. I love that fast paced style of game.
If last night was your thing, you are welcome to it. Again, I'll go with an evening at Yost.
February 12th, 2011 at 7:33 PM ^
I was commenting more generally towards the attitude some have that fighting is somehow morally reprehensible in sports. I agree that Olympic hickey is wonderful to watch, ad well as a night at Yost.
February 12th, 2011 at 2:35 PM ^
How long did that game last? 17 minutes of fights alone... wow
February 12th, 2011 at 3:06 PM ^
Gillies and Martin will both have personal disciplinary hearings, meaning they can (and will) get more than five game suspensions. And I second the notion that it's too bad Cooke was not available; if anyone deserves something like that it is him.
EDIT: Here's TSN's summary of this: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=353548
February 12th, 2011 at 3:08 PM ^
Don't forget Godard getting at least 10 games for leaving the bench to go after Haley when Haley tried to fight Johnson.
February 12th, 2011 at 3:14 PM ^
I hadn't forgotten, but since that got mentioned a lot last night, I figured I'd add in the new details instead of rehashing Godard's stupidity. Also, to add onto that in-person list, Konopka is also getting one, and he apparently did something similar to Godard. Colin Campbell is going to need a bucket of tylenol when this one is over.
February 12th, 2011 at 2:59 PM ^
As much as I hate Pitt and glad they lost, some of the stuff the Islanders pulled was disgusting. And NOT old time hockey. Checking/elbowing someone into the boards and punching them while the player clearly is hurt is not old time hockey. Continually yelling at said player while he's down on the ice hurting is also pretty low. Trying to sucker punch Talbott from nearly behind is also approaching Bertuzzi-like from however long ago that was...even if Talbot knew he would be a target (that hit from a previous game was pretty dirty too), it's never fair to have someone attack you from behind like that. There's no reason to act stupid like that when you're winning 8-2.
I'm not saying Pittsburgh acted the part of saints here (that Orpik hit on Grabner into the goal was pretty idiotic, and Talbot wasn't obviously completely innocent anyway), but usually the team losing by 6 goals is the one to instigate the majority of the time, not the other way around.