The Senators have put the Rangers on the ropes in their playoff series, and New York’s situation is even more precarious since they will be without their third line centre, Brian Boyle, who was concussed in Game 5. Boyle has arguably been the most important player for the Blueshirts but an unpenalized hit by Ottawa’s Chris Neil knocked him woozy and he didn’t finish the game.
The decision by the NHL to not conduct a hearing or suspend Neil is almost certain to be widely condemned by Rangers fans and others who have expressed outrage against the atmosphere surrounding this year’s playoffs.
But while Rangers coach John Tortorella drew comparisons between Neil’s hit to that of Raffi Torres, which earned a 25-game ban, the real, most legitimate comparison is with the hit by the Canadiens Max Pacioretty on Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang, also a hit delivered when the victim was in the act of shooting.
And in his video explanation that Brendan Shanahan provided when he suspended Pacioretty, we can find the key to why Neil is not being punished.
First, here’s the hit on Boyle from the CBC telecast:
Here’s how it looked on NBC Sports Network with another replay angle:
This play is very similar to the one from last November at the Bell Centre, when Pacioretty leveled Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang just after Letang followed through after a shot. If you recall, Letang’s nose was broken, he left the game briefly then came back and scored the game winner. He was concussed, however, and missed a total of 24 games. Pacioretty was not penalized but was suspended by Shanahan for three games for the hit.
Habs fans may remember Pacioretty expressing surprise that he was suspended, believing he did nothing wrong, that he had always been told the type of hit he made on Letang was the right play and a legal one.
Here’s the Pacioretty hit and the explanation by Shanahan about why he was suspending Max, and it is one of the more detailed explanations Shanahan provided this past season:
The key to Pacioretty’s suspension — and the key to why Neil was not suspended — can be found in Rule 48 and in Shanahan’s words: “When cutting through the middle on a play like this, all players accept and understand the danger and expectation that a full bodycheck may be looming. Letang makes the decision to sacrifice his body and must accept the possibility of taking the hit to make the play. However, what no player should expect is that his head will be picked and made the principal point of contact on such a hit.”
Shanahan goes on to say that his Department of Player Safety has to ask on a play like this whether the shooter moves his head in such a so as to put himself in a vulnerable position; if so, the onus is removed from the checker and placed on the puck carrier. The video spotlights Letang’s head and shows its position doens’t appreciably change and that put the onus on Pacioretty to avoid making the head the principal point of contact.
“While we agree with Paccioretty’s assertion that Letang’s body position makes it difficult to avoid the head,” Shanahan continued, “it is still his responsibility to make principal contact through the core of Letang’s body.” The video then shows how Pacioretty shifted his weight to make contact with Letang’s head. He uses the word “reckless” in describing the hit, meaning he did not believe Pacioretty intended to make head contact.
That didn’t change the result, however. The bottom line is that Pacioretty made very little, if any, contact with Letang other than to his head area.
Going back to look at Neil’s hit, the two replay angles at the top, while not as truly definitive as the video Pacioretty hit, they don’t really show that Boyle’s head was the principle point of contact as much as it was a full body hit. The head was contacted, but was not “picked” or made the principal point of contact.
Now, the NHL also had additional angles of the hit from the Rangers home telecast on the MSG Network that helped them make the decision — and you can see them here, starting at 1:20 of the video. These are more definitive with regard to how much contact Neil makes with the rest of Boyle. He certainly hits Boyle’s head, but he also hits through “the core” of Boyle’s body. That’s what distinguished it from Max’s hit and was most likely the determining factor in letting Neil off.
Of course, Pacioretty returned from his suspension and went on to have a breakout season for the Canadiens as the club’s top scorer, coming back after being victimized last year by Zdeno Chara in one of the most notorious incidents of the 2010-11 campaign. Even though he’s not part of the playoffs, the decision to suspend him provides an explanation to a postseason incident that will certainly be talked about for a while.
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The 2 hits are actually not very comparable considering max comes from letangs backside where as Neil comes from the front side of Boyle. IMO if you eliminate that Neil hit you basically eliminate open ice hitting
Shanahan is useless. The Max hit, Letang knew it was coming and shot anyhow. Not to mention Letang also played the rest of the game. Max didn’t make total contact with Letangs head, it was more Letang’s head brushed Max’s shoulder. And to be honest, it was mostly Letangs face. Neils was a cheap hit, deliberate to take the guy out. It was an across the ice hit. The guy didn’t see it coming at all. Shanahan is totally useless. Then what about Max being steered into the stanchion by Chara and no suspension. Shanahan is a total POS, panzy ass bettman puppet. All he is.
Boyle also crashed the net and made heavy contact with the goal post. There’s no way to determine if *that* or the Neil hit caused the concussion.
tony-mclean.blogspot.com
I think the LA St.Louis series will be an excellent one.
For some reason I think Philly LA finale.
I want St-Louis in the Final. Be nice if Ottawa made it, for the Canadian team thing. Probably won’t happen, though.
Well, with this weekend’s festivities, my “Pick all the way to the Cup Winner” pool looks very bleak. Like the weather outside today.
Are you in Montreal, or is it nationwide bad weather?
Richard R
Price is an oyster. Unfortunately not all oysters produce pearls.
The poor, poor Penguins. I’d trade them Pleks for Malkin straight up if Pleks wasn’t so important for the Habs PK unit. Maybe if the Pens threw in a draft pick, but i dunno….
Best play in the world and this year’s Art Ross for Plekanec, it’s tough, but they’d better throw in a couple firsts.
I really doubt Babcock becomes available. It seems a long shot to me.
Vigneault on the other hand, I think there is a good chance he’s done in Vancouver.
The question becomes, would Habs fans welcome him back?
I know I would.
Go Habs Go!
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I dont see why they’d fire him personally. I think theyll give him one more year.
[Disclaimer]: I’m a hockey fan. I care about the habs, but probably not as much as you.
If we put ourselves in Vancouver’s shoes, who would they replace Vigneault with?
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Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
He has to speak Chinese.
tony-mclean.blogspot.com
Now that’s funny…
With Regards from FuzE_gus
I don’t think Vigneault is the problem in Vancouver, the guy did give the team President’s trophy. Anyone who watch the series, Quick stole the series away from the Nucks.
“Responding to the media , or playing to the media, or listening to the fans is the quickest way to start losing” – Sam Pollock
Mike Babcock and Alain Vignault may be available for Head Coach of the Habs, and some people are saying that there is choice to be made?
Right. Like Albert Einstein and Bill Nye the Science Guy are available to teach your university physics course and there is a choice to be made.
Sigh.
No choice if both are available and speak French. But you gotta admit if Babcock doesnt then … well you know …
Agreed, alas ;–)
None of those guys are going anywhere… Vignault = President’s trophy 2 yrs in a row + a game 7 final for the cup…. this year D. Sedin’s injury killed them…
Babcock? well any organization letting him go is considered a retarded one on all accounts… unfortunately, the wings do not qualify
Agreed 100% about Babcock! The Wings would be the Canucks-level stupid to let him go. Vignault? Can’t win in the playoffs ?
Game 7 loss in finals = can’t win in the playoffs.
Makes sense.
Uhhh … Dude:” this year they were all-but-swept by the 8TH PLACE!!!! never-won-in-no-hopers-LA-Kings.
And he’s won NOTHING
LA would probably kill any team in the east. How did Mike Babcock’s team do?
How about we all don’t get ahead of ourselves because this guy will be hired before the other guy(s). Neither Mr. Babcock or Mr. Vignault has been fired yet, or is likely to be. Moreover, the Canadiens haven’t hired a GM yet, so let’s leave the cart where it is and find the horse first.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Goodness! It’s hard to follow Shanahan’s thinking with this kind of record from this past year. Might as well roll dice..
So the Canucks are out and all I can think about is “Oh Gawd NO!”
Now , as a HABS fan, I have to spend the next while agonizing whether this is amazing serendipity or bedeviling ambs-ace.
I have this feeling that it is inevitable that Alain Vigneault is now the leading candidate for coach of the HABS… and I just dont know whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.
Personally I think the HABS right now need a coach who more reaches the souls of his players.
I didn’t think Vigneault should’ve been fired way back when.
*Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are gutless weasel pukes*
I hope you are right because it is a very likely possibility that he is the guy they would hire.
He shouldn’t been fired, he was in the wake of the Houle Tremblay cluserfuc…err era. He didn’t have much to work with and I thought he was a decent coach while he was here.
Agree. Thought he was a good coach.
Richard R
Price is an oyster. Unfortunately not all oysters produce pearls.
One thing we know now for sure, Vignault or Babcock will now be the next coach of the Habs. Vignault is done in Vancouver and Babcock is toast in Detroit. Either one would be a great choice for the Habs.
Michel Babcoque
*Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are gutless weasel pukes*
Why is Babcock toast?
Expectations in Detroit are always high. A second round defeat to the Sharks last year and a first round lose to the Preds this year is not good. The Hockey News also reported that if the Wings don’t go far in this years playoffs, a coaching change could happen. Players start to tune out a coach at some point.
Dont think he is so much toast as it might be a very amicable and mutual determination by Detroit and Babcock to change for the sake of change.
I doubt it. It would be a huge step backwards for those organizations to let go of their coaches.
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See my post above yours. I would prefer Babcock.
I don’t think you are alone in that choice.
and, as a McGill alumnus, I believe he is bilingual.
I wonder if any poster can confirm this. I had an exchange with a poster re Babcock last month and came away with the feeling that while Babcok was born in Manitouwadge, Ontario (fair french population) and went to McGill he in fact grew up in Saskatchewan.
I hope he speaks French because if it is between him and Vigneault for everything that Mtl needs.. he wins by a wide margin.
Ultimately,Habs new HC will be chosen by their new GM.
Babcock’s stint at McGill does not guarantee he speaks French… there is no French requirement at McGill… same way as I’m a McGill grad and all I can do in french is read off a restaurant menu
Mike Babcock does not speak French. This was widely reported when the Wings were in town before the All-Star Break. He does know the town and has friends and roots here from his university days, but that’s it.
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How about it NHL? No fighting, just hockey?
http://relentlessineptitude.blogspot.com/
Oh my god, if a coach of Mike Babcock’s caliber was available, and they didn’t hire him because he didn’t speak french ??!! Wow, then they deserve to sit in the basement of the East.
I’d take Babcock anyday.
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And let the riot begin!!
*Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are gutless weasel pukes*
The Sens better beat the Rangers. That way, at least they can physically punish the Bruins next round (as unfortunately Boston will beat Washington). Then when Boston beats the Sens, they will have to go through Philly. If they beat Philly, they will have to knock off St. Louis. That would be a tough road. Hopefully, the B’s can’t do it again.
With any luck the Caps get the bounces next game and it doesn’t go to OT the Bruins have been money in OT. I think the teams left might be tough enough physically to put a hurt on these pricks.
Watch out St-Louis! Here come the Kings. Jonathan Quick > Halak and Elliot
Agree, I think this LA Kings team is about to make some real noise. They were not physically tested by Vancouver and will be ready for next series.
Only way for St. Louis to beat the Kings is for Halak to be in goal.
Yea just like they needed him to beat the Sharks. Oh wait, silly me. Last time I checked Elliott has yet to lose.
You could say the opposite as well: they weren’t challenged physically so they won’t be prepared for the next round.
Richard R
Price is an oyster. Unfortunately not all oysters produce pearls.
Anybody right now would have thought that Ottawa would be the only Canadian team left in the playoffs?
Daryl Sutter is like the old Hitchcock, good for the first year or two. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Kings make a long run, Sutter has them clicking. No mistake hockey
Edit: to answer your question yah guess i would be lying to say I expected this, but I have thought the Rangers have had smoke and mirrors all year. Always thought East went thru Pitt/Philly/Boston
That AND leading the series? That’s why I don’t gamble on sports (anymore)
There were only two to choose from.
Richard R
Price is an oyster. Unfortunately not all oysters produce pearls.
Sucks to be you, Vancouver Canucks.
Full Breezer 4 Life
NOOOOO
Brutal play by Hamhuis
I wonder what happens with the Canucks now.
THey try trade Luongo, find out they get nothing in return, then panic and trade Schneider, then realize again Luongo sucks.
Brain Burke will give up Kadri and a 1st for Luongo.
I am not sure Kadri brings anything back, but definitely see him shopping Schenn, especially in light of the fact that Phaneuf and Schenn apparantly are not on same page at all.
I don’t know if Kadri is a bust yet. He may replace Hodgson in Vancouver.
You could be right, in truth I don’t see Luongo worth a first and a real prospect his contract is poison. But Burke will be desperate. Who was the GM in Vancouver when they acquired Luongo? Nonis, Burke?
No but I can see Burke overpaying big time for Luongo. Collecting mediocre players is Burke’s specialty.
And with that the Canucks are done.
What happened??
Jarret Stoll 2 on 1 off a turnover created by Stoll beat Schneider short side high.
Really???? Balls man!
Sorry not created by Stoll he picked up the puck off the turnover which another King forechecking created.
Couldn’t buy a goal. Wonder if they’re still glad they traded Hodgson for Kassian? Talk about ‘fighting the last war’.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Was a stupid trade, if you want physicality fine, but why pick up a rookie who was in the AHL most of the year. That is not playoff proven physicality for a potential top line scorer. Panic move by Canucks.
Yeah… seriously. Now I gotta go for Ottawa if I want a Canadian team to do well :S
Is anybody watching this Overtime?
Just checking out Claude Giroux’s stats/career etc.
He played CJHL junioa ‘A’ hockey in Cumberland, right in my backyard near Orleans.
I probably shoulda scouted him for the HABS. So just in case I decided to make up fo it.
I did some scouting of the Cumberland Grads and am submitting the name of Jonathan Elliot for consideration by our next GM.
You want size; you want mean; big.. this kid got all of that. Sure he’s a project… but one never knows.
Dont blame me if the Flyers grab him.
How about you for next GM? I’ll coach the goalies.
*Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are gutless weasel pukes*
I was ok with the suspension on MaxPac, but the non-suspension on Malone for the Campoli hit was crock of BS. The Neil hit was fine.
Thank you Stu Hackel for the article and videos on the Neil-on-Boyle hit and its comparison to Max Pac’s hit on Letang.
I have to admit that I agree with Shanahan’s observation that Neil ddelivered his hit mostly to Boyle’s core. You can see it very clearly. And in hindsight and under unbiased scrutiny (hard to do as a HABS fan here) Max Pac’s hit unfortunately connected primarily and mostly with Letang’s head. The fact that it was mostly the ‘back’ of Pacioretty’s shoulder (almost the shoulder blades area) which seemd to have connected to Letang is further evidence that Pacioretty moved ‘incorrectly’ when delivering the hit. There was no intent to hit the head but when Pacioretty shifted his focus and his body and feet to follow Letang’s shot to the net it affected his angle. I dont like the categorization of the hit as ‘reckless’ (even if the NHL strangely uses the term non-perjoratively). A better categorization would have been simply ‘improper’.
So in my opinion Shanahan got this one right. But having said all that he has still been very inconsistent in his rulings and was outrageously derelict in ignoring (not meting out punishment for) Weber’s action and yes Neil’s action in a previous game in the Rangers-Ottawa series.
Again good work Stu Hackel.
Thanks very much.
The Bruin’s are like a bad case of gonorrhea…. they just won’t go away…
arghh…
You’ve had gonorrhea?
*Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are gutless weasel pukes*
Nop. Have you?
Does chlamydia count?
*Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are gutless weasel pukes*
My gonorrhea post was deleted or in other words “my gonorrhea is gone”.
if the bruins win game 7 the only way they play the flyers next is if the rangers win and the devils win…
The Boston BasTURDS won’t win Game 7, their little chowdahead fans will watch their zeroes cough it up on home ice on Wednesday (!)..
How the hell do they get two and half days off between games, NHL who you favouring??
*Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are gutless weasel pukes*
I’m still hoping for a Caps win on Wednesday.
On a side note I’d like to thank Burke for overpaying for Kessel thus allowing the Booins to draft Seguin. That kid is a beast and has put up some important goals in the post season. Good job Burke you putz.
Burke will be going after Luongo next.
Brian Burke, building the Leafs and the Bruins…
*Jack Edwards is a clam, Bruins are gutless weasel pukes*