Aaron Dell Suspended For 3 Games by DPS

[LGR4GM]

56 minutes ago, Believer said:

Starting to question the Sabres conditioning and rehab programs… All teams have injuries, but seems like we have more and rehab longer… I’m sure the data guys have stats on games lost to injury for each team and each player… Would love to see those…

We should start a thread on it

[kas23]

3 hours ago, Brawndo said:

 

Can’t tell for sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I think it’s probably a good thing. 

[Huckleberry]

we have goalies left ? 😂

[Believer]

23 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

We should start a thread on it

You’re right… Will do…

23 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

We should start a thread on it

You’re right… Will do…

[pi2000]

Who will be the next Sabre to go down?  

Skinner is having a nice bounce-back season and for that reason he's destined for a season ending injury here sooner than later.

[Broken Ankles]

Sabres fans response to Player Safety on the suspension is that of Don Corleone in his meeting with Sollozzo.  

“Why do I deserve this… generosity?”

[Doohicksie]

4 hours ago, Believer said:

Hard to believe Granato gave the team the day off today

Actually I think the NHLPA mandates a number of off days during the season.  This might have been one.

[SHAAAUGHT!!!]

Dirty hit?  Yes.

Unnecessary hit?  Yes.

Do I like seeing a Sabre player take steps to intimidate another team and challenge their character?  1000x Yes.  

The NHL and NHLPA is a joke when it comes to enforcement of rules related to player safety.  The inconsistencies in this league with enforcement invite this type of play.  I fully support Dells actions here, and even the suspension.  It also makes for interesting hockey for a non-playoff team.  The only reason I watched the 3rd period of that game was to see if anyone on Ottawa actually cared enough about their team to do anything.  Dell embarrassed that entire team and as a Sabre's fan it's nice to be on the other side.

[K-9]

Too bad Tre White is hurt. 
 

 

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, SHAAAUGHT!!! said:

Dirty hit?  Yes.

Unnecessary hit?  Yes.

Do I like seeing a Sabre player take steps to intimidate another team and challenge their character?  1000x Yes.  

The NHL and NHLPA is a joke when it comes to enforcement of rules related to player safety.  The inconsistencies in this league with enforcement invite this type of play.  I fully support Dells actions here, and even the suspension.  It also makes for interesting hockey for a non-playoff team.  The only reason I watched the 3rd period of that game was to see if anyone on Ottawa actually cared enough about their team to do anything.  Dell embarrassed that entire team and as a Sabre's fan it's nice to be on the other side.

The guy who lost 5-0, embarrassed the other team? 

[SHAAAUGHT!!!]

26 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

The guy who lost 5-0, embarrassed the other team? 

Yeah, Stevie Wonder could see that response coming...

We have a real life example that we are all very familiar with that applies here: does typical NHL fan or player remember the score of the game where Lucic ran Miller, or just that Lucic ran Miller? 

The most important aspect of that game was not who won it, who scored, or how Miller played.  It was the Sabres are only playing for themselves and not the team,  and can be taken advantage because they won't even stick up for their All Star goalie unless shamed into doing so.

[LGR4GM]

19 minutes ago, SHAAAUGHT!!! said:

Yeah, Stevie Wonder could see that response coming...

We have a real life example that we are all very familiar with that applies here: does typical NHL fan or player remember the score of the game where Lucic ran Miller, or just that Lucic ran Miller? 

The most important aspect of that game was not who won it, who scored, or how Miller played.  It was the Sabres are only playing for themselves and not the team,  and can be taken advantage because they won't even stick up for their All Star goalie unless shamed into doing so.

The most important aspect was the Sabres then spent several years thinking the reason they lost in round 1 of the playoffs that year was because they did not have enough toughness... when in reality it was that they simply weren't that talented. I will always remember how Kaleta, Kassian, Scott, Ott, etc... were going to be the toughness we needed. 

Dell got shelled in Ottawa and looked like a scrub. Ottawa's only negative consequence is that Batherson is out and he was and is a very talented player. We don't agree here, should probably leave it at that. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I would have given him 5.

[SHAAAUGHT!!!]

34 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Dell got shelled in Ottawa and looked like a scrub. Ottawa's only negative consequence is that Batherson is out and he was and is a very talented player. We don't agree here, should probably leave it at that. 

Dell was shelled in Ottawa and looked like a scrub 100%.  And it sucks that Batherson is out.  I wish the play didn't end up as an injury. 

It's up to the Sens on how they respond to it going forward.  The fact that Watson didn't come out and blast someone in a 3-0 game again Buffalo means something.  What it means and to what degree is TBD.  All I know for sure is I appreciate this Sabres team does not hesitate to address any funny business on the ice, and if I was a Sens fan I'd be a bit upset about the on ice response to the Dell hit.

[Doohicksie]

 

[Eleven]

On 1/26/2022 at 9:19 AM, woods-racer said:

It's the NHL , throw poop at the wall and see what sticks. It's not like there is any consistency or equal justice. 

If Price did it last year do think they would even have looked at it?

Given the air that TSN gave it, yes I do.

It was a stupid and dangerous hit.

[Thorner]

Suspension is the right call. In this case punishing the result SHOULD be a factor. It’s not the same as if any old defender threw the block as any player on the ice would be aware of that potential and there’d be a level of onus on said player to be ready for it. Batherson wouldn’t have been bracing or prepared for that play from Dell, and that’s why he got hurt. 

Dell knew it was a cheap shot. 

[Taro T]

3 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Suspension is the right call. In this case punishing the result SHOULD be a factor. It’s not the same as if any old defender threw the block as any player on the ice would be aware of that potential and there’d be a level of onus on said player to be ready for it. Batherson wouldn’t have been bracing or prepared for that play from Dell, and that’s why he got hurt. 

Dell knew it was a cheap shot. 

 

Agree to a point.  Players need to avoid goalie contact at all times per the rules, so goalies shouldn't be allowed free shots on players.  Agree that he deserved a suspension.  IMHO, 2 games was right, so they came close.  Really not a fan of the outcome dictating the degree of punishment.

Also, will be really interesting to see what the NHL does the next time a goalie drops a shoulder into a player heading for the back boards.  The positions of the players relative to the boards is why it was suspendable IMHO.  The goalie initiating contact should ALWAYS be a penalty except in that rare instance where each are both racing towards & playing the puck.  Initiating contact when there is a high probability of the skater checking himself hard into the boards should carry greater weight & consistently greater weight.

Really doubt the NHL has the cahones to make this call consistently.  Unfortunately.

[Thorner]

1 minute ago, Taro T said:

 

Agree to a point.  Players need to avoid goalie contact at all times per the rules, so goalies shouldn't be allowed free shots on players.  Agree that he deserved a suspension.  IMHO, 2 games was right, so they came close.  Really not a fan of the outcome dictating the degree of punishment.

Also, will be really interesting to see what the NHL does the next time a goalie drops a shoulder into a player heading for the back boards.  The positions of the players relative to the boards is why it was suspendable IMHO.  The goalie initiating contact should ALWAYS be a penalty except in that rare instance where each are both racing towards & playing the puck.  Initiating contact when there is a high probability of the skater checking himself hard into the boards should carry greater weight & consistently greater weight.

Really doubt the NHL has the cahones to make this call consistently.  Unfortunately.

That’s the thing - I’m ok with factoring result into the punishment if the play itself is one a player would know has a higher risk of injury. If an abnormal injury results from an abnormal play, the offender is subject to the results. It’s not like comparing two run of the mill cross checks at centre ice where one results in injury from an awkward fall and one doesn’t. Dell would have known his play was abnormal and carried a higher risk of injury.

[Eleven]

41 minutes ago, Thorny said:

That’s the thing - I’m ok with factoring result into the punishment if the play itself is one a player would know has a higher risk of injury. If an abnormal injury results from an abnormal play, the offender is subject to the results. It’s not like comparing two run of the mill cross checks at centre ice where one results in injury from an awkward fall and one doesn’t. Dell would have known his play was abnormal and carried a higher risk of injury.

I read a great counter to this earlier today somewhere.  It went something like this:

The Caps and Avs are in the final.  In Game 1, Ovechkin does one of his stupid Ovechkin things and injures a fourth-liner for the Avs.  The Avs, wanting Ovechkin out of as many games as possible, and easily able to disguise the nature of the fourth-liner's injury because of the NHL's reporting rules, exaggerate the severity of the injury and just swap in JAG for the fourth-liner.  As a result, Ovechkin's suspension is longer.

[Thorner]

2 minutes ago, Eleven said:

I read a great counter to this earlier today somewhere.  It went something like this:

The Caps and Avs are in the final.  In Game 1, Ovechkin does one of his stupid Ovechkin things and injures a fourth-liner for the Avs.  The Avs, wanting Ovechkin out of as many games as possible, and easily able to disguise the nature of the fourth-liner's injury because of the NHL's reporting rules, exaggerate the severity of the injury and just swap in JAG for the fourth-liner.  As a result, Ovechkin's suspension is longer.

It’s an interesting scenario and not one I believe we’d consider altogether unlikely, either.

For me personally, under the premise that injury result *is* a factor in punishment, my interpretation of the spirit of that rule would be an attempt to quantify “loss”. Do we think a dirty play on a star player should be punished more severely than the same play on a 4th liner? 

My initial thought would be, “yes”, but..

Whether or not an effort to maintain competitive balance should be a concern, and a factor, ie, a stricter punishment because other team is going to be *significantly* hampered because of a minutes leader went down, I think remains an interesting point of discussion. 

Certainly it would be much easier to draw a line to “intent” when the culprit is a very important player.

[PromoTheRobot]

In light of the Houser COVID, this is hurting the Sabres even more. Thanks, Aaron.