For the past three days, the hockey talk around here has been centered around Matty Cooke and his knock out shot on Marc Savard of the Bruins. Whether you think it was a clean hit or a dirty one, one thing is for sure, it was a legal one. And that is word straight from the NHL. There is definitely still a chance he will be suspended because it was a total blind sider, and if you ask me or anyone else who watches hockey regularly, it was at least a little bit dirty. It's hockey, it's fast, it's rough, sometimes people get hurt. My real topic for today, however, are the people who keep saying the game is too violent and it should be more like the Olympics where shots to the head and fighting will get you the boot. These people sound like idiots to me honestly. Are they even familiar with the NHL or did they watch three or four Olympic games and become experts. "But the Olympics was so exciting." they say "with none of that fighting and other garbage." That's because it was the best of the best all condensed onto a few teams. The talent in the NHL is so much more diluted than that and that is why you have role players, just like Matt Cooke. Just about every player in the Olympics was a top five player on their NHL team, maybe even top three. The fourth line on team Canada is slightly better than the fourth line of the Phoenix Coyotes (and by slightly I mean ridiculously). This is why we have to face the fact that the NHL can never, and will never, be like Olympic hockey. Matt Cooke is a hitter and an agitator. He is there to torment the other teams' best players all night long. And we love him, for the same reasons we hate guys like Hartnell and Jarkko. Same goes for fighters, its their job. Eric Godard is here for one reason, and its not his wide open skating ability I assure you. He is there to drop the gloves and throw with anyone who takes a run at one of our big guns. Fighting in the NHL is why he has a job and if the NHL ever got rid of it they would be making a huge mistake. There is nothing wrong with letting the boys police themselves a little. Drop the gloves and handle it, then take five in the sin bin and its over. Not to mention the fact that fans LOVE it. I don't know about you, but I don't leave the room to get another beer if a fight breaks out. In fact, I usually get more excited than if we score. Also, it's not like fighting is something new. Remember Marty McSorley in the 80s and 90s skating around daring someone to touch The Great One in L.A. and then doing the same for Jagr in the Burgh. His job was to make anyone who took a shot at his team's star regret it immediately. And the worst part of all this is that its not even the callers on these radio shows that are saying this nonsense, its the actual hosts. I can't believe they can't differentiate between NHL and Olympic hockey. I mean if you want to cut the NHL down to about five or six teams then we can play just like the Olympics. I bet not too many cities would be happy about that. Sorry people, you just have to accept that its part of the game and it always will be. Fighting is here to stay and if you don't like it I hear there's going to be a tourney in Russia in about four years that you might enjoy.
Matt Cooke will be playing in the game against Boston coming up on the 18th. No suspension, I guess Campbell wanted to stay "consistent" with his rulings all year.
ReplyDeleteCooke's hit wasn't dirty or at least I think so, if that is your role to watch for people who play with their head down, they deserve a good smacking. You are supposed to come through the zone with your head up and on a swivel. Can you imagine if that were Kevin Stevens instead of Matt Cooke, do you realize how obliterated Marc Savard would be
Everything now days has become so PC its pathetic. Who cares, things need to lighten up because fighting in hockey is not a bad thing. Human's are aggressive and they fight. Humans are like 2 rams on the side of a mountain ready to headbutt each other to establish dominance. I would like to know why human beings shouldnt fight each other in a game or have hits that are deemed by the league non suspend-able even though society is sooooo out raged because they think its dirty? Things happen, I am sure Campbell will be replaced next year or the NHL will make rule and dish out heavy punishments. Players need to start playing more fundamental hockey and not come through the zone which none the less happened to be the middle of the ice. That right there is asking to get destroyed. I blame Savard for having even give the opportunity to Cooke to lay the hammer down. I bet next time Savard will come through the zone with his head up, sucks he had learn that hard of a lesson.
The only reason i said slightly dirty is because it was a little after the play... Maybe just a split second late. But in Cooke's defense, I have to agree with you. One Savvard is floating down the middle of the ice with his neck out, and two, when Cooke sees that, its his job to pop him. It was definitely shoulder and not elbow and if they didn't suspend Richards earlier in the year they can't suspend Cooke because the hits were identical. I'm actually really surprised there was no suspension because I figued they would want to "make an example" of the hit and also because they wouldn't want to admit that a legal hit can end someone's season, but bottom line, he didnt break a rule. Period. Like it or not. And like you said, let the guys handle it themselves. It's hockey. They know its fast and dangerous and they even know that it's someone's job to throw their weight around so be ready. Eric Lindros was a qhysical monster but couldn't handle the puck with his head up and he got anihilated on a regular basis and ended his career due to concussions. People ignore this fact and I can't say it enough, these guys know the risk every time they step on the ice.
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