Really biased article about last night by the Canadian Press...

[JujuFish]

Blindsiding a captain, who also happens to be the goal scoring leader, well after the play is passed, nailing him in the head with one's shoulder, taking him out for at least one game, if not more...nah that's not so bad.

Ruff sending his energy line out there who indicate before the puck even drops what's going to happen (see Kaleta as they line up) taking them on face first, so they're prepared...OH NOES! THE HORROR! OMG SUSPENSION I CAN'T BELIEVE HE JUST DID THAT! WE CAN'T HAVE OUR BALLERINAS FIGHTING?!?!

 

Give me a break.

[heceta]

OK- so I see things from a different view- so be it- the Sabres are having a great year- hopefully they will complete the season well- and put this embarrassing( for both sides) incident behind them-

have a good season and enjoy the game tommorrow- I'll be stuck watching the Blues the rest of the year!

[wonderbread]

pi$$ off heceta go back to your loser blues board and start some crap about how your gonna get some great draft picks for your overpaid underachieving free agents. we don't want you objective unbiased opinion around here.

[gregkash]

After seeing the replay again, Neil definitely cheap-shotted him with a shoulder and followed-through. I liked how he pussed-out by pulling Stafford's jersey over his face, after Stafford bull-dogged him.

 

And yep, Heatley pushes Kaleta first. Good thing for Kaleta there wasn't a car involved.

 

 

dont do that.

 

That's stooping low.

 

 

--

 

At one point you can hear Ruff yelling at Murray "Don't go after our Captain" and Murray yells "I'll go after whoever I want"

[Taro T]

dont do that.

 

That's stooping low.

--

 

At one point you can hear Ruff yelling at Murray "you (d)on't go after our f*in' Captain" and Murray yells "I'll go after whoever I want"

Fixed it for you. ;)

[Goodfella25]

Well, you're entire post was garbage, but I think it's funny that you try to point this out, since the video at the end of this article shows clearly that the first cross check of the "event" comes from the one and only Dany Heatley on Patrick Kaleta before the face-off even occurs.

 

http://www.letsgosabres.com/pressbox/fulls...hp?newsid=10191

 

Unbiased my ass.

 

VERY good observation, I didn't really notice that but sure enough it was Heatley who initiated the contact...so anyone who is complaining about our guys going after their skill players because "they had no choice because the home team gets the last line change before a faceoff" answer this for me...WHY DIDN'T MURRAY JUST CALL A TIME OUT??? He had to know what was coming. Interesting, isn't it???

 

GregKash--Also a good point about what Murray said, that was very audible in the replay.

 

I'm glad to see everyone is still fired up about this, I thought many would back off after a night's sleep!

[MidwestSabresFan]

One of the

(click on it to view the video) on YouTube showed the shouting match between Ruff and Murray, and I found it soooo freakin funny, that in the middle of them.... stood Rob Ray. And the look on his face was PRICELESS!

 

Anyway, heres a piece of that Canadian Press article that pisses me off the most:

 

"What I've seen in this league in the past is you respect the skill players," said Murray, who got into a shouting match with Ruff from the bench. "The only comment I can make on it now is the respect for skill players really isn't there between us."

 

Asked if the inclusion of McGrattan, who's been a healthy scratch for the past nine games, was intended to send a message to the Sabres, Murray said: "It depends on how they take it."

 

Drury suffered a suspected concussion and 20-stitch gash on his forehead when he crashed to the ice after being blindsided by Neil at 5:07 of the second period. Drury had already released the puck in the Senators zone and didn't see Neil coming. No penalty was called

 

on the play. Buffalo's Drew Stafford immediately jumped Neil and the two received fighting majors.

 

Neil defended his hit Friday.

 

"It's a physical game and it was a clean hit," Neil said. "You don't like to see a guy get hurt, but that's half the battle."

 

Neil insisted he caught Drury with a clean shoulder check. Ruff complained to the referees that Neil used his elbow.

 

"That's what the ref asked me. He said, 'Did you get your elbow up?' I said, 'No. If anything it may have been a step late.' But after watching the replay, it wasn't even late.

 

"I don't lead the NHL in hits for nothing."

 

OK, number one, if you respect other teams skilled players, why did Neil run Drury? Is he not a skilled player? Are you not just calling out your own player?

 

Second deal is with the Ref's. WHY THE HELL IS THE REF ASKING HIM IT HE DID IT(used his elbow) WITH INTENT TO INJURE? WHY DID THE REF ASK? IS THAT NOT WHY THEY HAVE THAT LITTLE PHONE AT THE TIME KEEPERS BENCH TO CALL OFFICIALS WHO CAN REPLAY THE HIT? Its like a judge asking a guy on trial for murder if he killed the guy. OF COURSE HE'S GONNA SAY NO!!! But since he just put a cheap dirty hit on Drury, lets ask him to be an honest citizen and ask him if he got his elbow up! Way to enforce rules NHL.... now a laughing stock for officiating.

 

I'm done for now, good night!!

[Kristian]

Biased... hmmmmmmmm...... since this is a Sabres board- it seems anything not Sabres will be considered biased. So- here it goes....

 

The hit was clean from all video indications- no elbow was raised- but a hit to the head with a shoulder- part of the contatc of the check. It was a bit late- but not so late it was a clear penalty. The Buffalo response by fighting the guy was clear and needed for the respect of the palyers. But the cheap actions by Ruff- and the goon antics by the Sabres was worse than acceptable. Didn't I see a Sabre grab Heatley from behind- by the head- and try to bend him backward? That is cheap- and deliberate attempt to injure. Several cross checks after the faceoff- all from the Buffagoons and then the two-faced and cowardly coaching....... I think Ruiff said that it was a 'predatory type hit'..... well- he should know about a player trying to injure- and accept it-. Consider this.... direct from Ruff.......

He was running around creaming his teammates, including forward Thomas Vanek, during a practice that was open the public and was supposed to be low key. Ruff had to speak to him to dial it down. "That's a true story. He looks to hit hard and he looks to hurt people," said Ruff.

 

Now- if Ruff can accept this of one of his own palyers- why should the rules be different for other teams.....

 

Ruff is a poor caoch if he thinks this is acceptable . He deserves about 12-15 game suspension for this- and a probation- further actions like this this season will result in doubling of his penalty.... the 12-15 games..... The Sabres organization should be fined 50,000 for the antics- and the condoning of the antics based on their non- suspension of Ruff.

 

The one Sabre with a bit of class in this- Mair- for going to the Sens lockerroom and apologizing. A true sportsman and MAN to handle it so well.

 

If the NHL has the guts- the discipline on this will be swift and harsh- for all who chose poorly. The hit was clean- technically- but was a bit cheap...... an oppotunistic hit that really wasn't needed or good for anyone.

 

A sidenote- since nearly all suspensions are appealed- a new rule should be instigated....... if an appeal is filed- and the original penalty stands- the punishment should double...... if there was a 3 game suspension appealled and upheld- the new should be a six game suspension........

This logic follows the NFL challenge rule- a consequnce to the appela so as to maintian some integfrity.

 

For the record- I am not a Sabres fan- and much much less a Sens fan...... just a hockey fan...

so go ahead- those who choose- flame me and deny the realities..... look with reason and logic-0 not emotion.....

 

I'd love to dent your car some day, not cause I hold anything against you personally, but I'm sure you wouldn't get mad?

 

No emotion.

[drnkirishone]

First off I would like to start with two definition and this comes from Merriam-Webster's online dictionary

 

Main Entry: head-hunt?ing

Pronunciation: -"h&n-ti[ng]

Function: noun

1 : the act or custom of seeking out, decapitating, and preserving the heads of enemies as trophies

2 : a seeking to deprive usually political enemies of position or influence

 

 

Main Entry: head?hunt?er

Pronunciation: -"h&n-t&r

Function: noun

1 : one that engages in head-hunting

2 : a recruiter of personnel especially at the executive level

3 : an athlete who intentionally seeks to harm an opponent

 

 

Now lets take this to before the hit. Your a Ottawa Senator player your playing the team that is in front of you in the standings so it's a 4 point game. You not only let them tie the score up but less then a minute later you give them the lead.

 

Now you want me to believe with all that has been said about how to play againest the Sabres and the situation they were in that Murray didn't put him out there to go headhunting?

 

also as to the lateness of the hit. Heres a question for you. Do the refs follow the puck? My instinct says yes cause thats were 90% of the action is. Soooooooo if the ref is watching the puck and he doesn't see the player that had already shot the puck away get hit...... Wouldn't that mean it's a late hit? I mean if the ref has already moved on to the next thing to me that says late hit

[Kristian]

First off I would like to start with two definition and this comes from Merriam-Webster's online dictionary

 

Main Entry: head-hunt?ing

Pronunciation: -"h&n-ti[ng]

Function: noun

1 : the act or custom of seeking out, decapitating, and preserving the heads of enemies as trophies

2 : a seeking to deprive usually political enemies of position or influence

Main Entry: head?hunt?er

Pronunciation: -"h&n-t&r

Function: noun

1 : one that engages in head-hunting

2 : a recruiter of personnel especially at the executive level

3 : an athlete who intentionally seeks to harm an opponent

Now lets take this to before the hit. Your a Ottawa Senator player your playing the team that is in front of you in the standings so it's a 4 point game. You not only let them tie the score up but less then a minute later you give them the lead.

 

Now you want me to believe with all that has been said about how to play againest the Sabres and the situation they were in that Murray didn't put him out there to go headhunting?

 

also as to the lateness of the hit. Heres a question for you. Do the refs follow the puck? My instinct says yes cause thats were 90% of the action is. Soooooooo if the ref is watching the puck and he doesn't see the player that had already shot the puck away get hit...... Wouldn't that mean it's a late hit? I mean if the ref has already moved on to the next thing to me that says late hit

 

Nice post.

[nucci]

I am not sure if I care anymore if people think it was dirty, late, clean, or whatever. Most of us on here have either played hockey or have been a fan a long time. I do not know any of you on this board however, if you were one of my teammates and this happened to you I would have done the same thing as the Sabres. You protect your own . Can you imagine if this was Toronto-Montreal or Toronto-Ottawa? HNIC and Don Cherry would be loving this and calling it old-time hockey. Screw what anyone else thinks. I have not read about any Ottawa players complaining , only Murray.

[LoveAndWarrener]

If the NHL is going to penalize the Sabres for protecting their guy, maybe they should start protecting the skill players themselves by penalizing a guy like Ovechkin with more than a $100 fine when he blindsides Briere from behind while leaving the ice.

 

Maybe Bryan Murray should realize that Drury is one of our 'skill players' and that since his goon Neil took him out, the gloves were to go off. #%^$#! off, Murray. If you think this is goon hockey you haven't seen #%^$#!. No wonder your soft club is a guaranteed first-round exit year-in, year-out.

 

I also love how Peters is gutless when Ray Emery was basically inviting him and smiling through the whole fight.

[DR HOLLIDAY]

I am not sure if I care anymore if people think it was dirty, late, clean, or whatever. Most of us on here have either played hockey or have been a fan a long time. I do not know any of you on this board however, if you were one of my teammates and this happened to you I would have done the same thing as the Sabres. You protect your own . Can you imagine if this was Toronto-Montreal or Toronto-Ottawa? HNIC and Don Cherry would be loving this and calling it old-time hockey. Screw what anyone else thinks. I have not read about any Ottawa players complaining , only Murray.

 

If Cherry talks about this Saturday, I bet he sides with the Sabres.............. :beer:

 

I know the Hamilton Spectator did.