Cheap shot or part of the game. I never have played hockey, but I am sure I would try to keep my head up when skating around. Definitely a little late with the hit. Maybe a little revenge for Joe Thorton's hit on David Perron.
Plays like that have no place in hockey. It's what gives it a bad name. Well, that and the "spin the wheel of discipline" that Campbell used to hand out. He got hit two and a half strides after the puck left his stick. To make it worse, a check is supposed to be used to separate the man from the puck, Rome waited until he clearly saw the puck get passed and leave Horton's stick before he decided to step up and hit him. It was a blind side hit, too and not of the north and south variety that many pundits are trying to say. If you watch closely, Horton passes the puck to his left and then begins veering that way to stay on-side. Rome was to his right about a pace or two to begin with but then after Horton veers, he's going at about a 45 degree angle (or more) away. Then, Rome plants his back skate and comes in at an angle and the first thing to hit was shoulder to head. I understand plays like this are going to happen from time to time with the speed of the game but the more the league hands out stronger suspensions, the less you'll see this. If Torress gets 4 or 5 games earlier in the playoffs against Chicago (which he deserved) or Downey with the hit he had for the Lightening, the checking and role players won't play with such a reckless abandon that borderlines thuggery. Sorry for the rant but it really grinds my gears when players use the sporting arena to get away with physical violence that would put them in jail for assault if they were on the street. Especially when they know all they have to do is sit in "shame" for a couple of minutes.
I think that the game needs to be looked at as a whole. If everyone is going to rave about an open-ice hit with Horton admiring his skate laces, but over-look Thomas driving his blocker into another players throat, numerous elbows to the head while players are within two feet of the boards, knee to knee contact in every corner of the rink, then it becomes apparent why Bettman is inconsistent. Zdeno Chara had, what I consider to be, the cheapest, ugliest hit of the post season, but because Bettman does nothing with it in the way of suspension, it gets forgotten. Ask Max Pacioretty if he has forgotten it yet. Watching the immature scrums involving players putting their ungloved fingers in Burrows face, kind of sums up last nights game. It was a scoring clinic put on by Boston, but at the same time, a disgrace when it comes to the level of proffesionalism shown by both teams. I sincerely hope that Game#4 is actually a hockey game from start to finish.
I grew up watching hockey (I sucked at playing at) and that was indeed a cheap shot. No different from teeing off on a quarterback after the ball has been passed in a football game. He got 4 games for it and I think he deserved it. In my opinion at all levels hockey needs to do two things to get into the 21st century: 1.) Stamp out fighting. I know that there are emotions to the game etc but hockey is the one sport where fighting is seen as 'ok'. Let the refs handle the justice side of the game not the players. 2.) Helmets! Sure they have to wear them but someone please make sure they do up their chinstraps. How many concussions could have been avoided if the helmet was secure on the head? The NHL's biggest star (Sydney Crosby) lost half of his season because of one. Also please make them wear full shields. Manny Malholtra almost lost sight in his left eye this season and while admittedly few and far between similar injuries have happened to other people. Ok rant off lol!
I think it was a cheap shot and the 4 games is prob right for it. But I'm sorry Dos can't agree on the fighting. I know it is weird that hockey is the only sport that allows it! But I think stick work and more cheap shots will be more prominant. Use to be in the old days you did something like that you were going to get an ass whoppin! But with the instigator rule that is hard to do anymore. I will be interested to watch them play next season in the regular season!
Hockey is tough to regulate and probably no good answers with the players being so much bigger than they were 30-40 years ago. I don't have much tolerance for scrums, or the clowns like Malby who never drop the gloves. I disagree with Dos on the fighting also. Having someone like Tony Twist on your side keeps the game from getting so chippy. Not much funny stuff went on when Semenko was playing with Gretzy.
I've been involved with hockey for many years. My son played from mites through college and still plays in senior leagues. The head shots have to stop and stiffer and more universal suspensions have to be enforced. If the head shot is done by a player considered to be a star then the enforcement tends to be light. If it is done by a goon then the enforcement seems to be stiff. The examples of Chara, Downey, and Richards from Philly are all part of the maybe we enforce the rules or maybe we let them go. If Rome's hit had come in the regular season would he have gotten more games? The head shots would stop if they made the penalties stiffer, progressive, and more consistent. First time make it a ten game suspension. Second offense should be 20 games and much of this would stop. When the game loses stars like Crosby and La Fontaine among others, then something has to change. The players are bigger, stonger and faster than they have ever been in the past and the injuries will tend to continue unless they change the rules and how they are enforced. USA Hockey is considering a rule change right now that would eliminate checking for all youth leagues below the Bantam level. Canada allows body checking at the lower age levels so it will interesting to see how competitive or non-competitive the US teams will be with the Canadian teams and how much the injuries reduce, if they reduce at all.
Sounds like you don't like Boston Much? Listen and listen good in all sports and on ALL team you will have the DB that does something that is not good for the game. For every Chara hit on patchwork you have a dive by Subban. For every running into the goalie by a forward you have a goalie dishing out a little justice. Baseball has Arod and Manny doing PED's, Lebron thinking he is God and Bynum laying someone out, and Harrison ending Trent greens career, it happens you don't like it don't watch the games or buy the tickets... One question what is worse Burrows actually biting a finger or putting a finger in someone’s face. Final words BRUINS in 6 (oh please please please)
Hey Ed I agree with you for the most part, stiffer penalties would stop some of the crap, but don't forget when New Jersey beat out Philadelphia about 8 years ago in the semi finals, remember the hit Scott Stevens laid on Eric Lindros, he got kudo's for being tough and it was an open ice hit, etc, meanwhile it pretty well eliminated Lindro's career, he was never the same after that. Up here, body checking has been eliminated in house league up to the peewee level (about 12 years old) in house league. In rep hockey it is still allowed at almost any level. Growing up and playing both rep and house league (as a goalie), I witnessed a lot of fights on the ice and was even in one myself. Watching my son play for about 7 years, I only recall one actual fight, so the fighting has been reduced at the minor level.
Hey Bob, They have really stepped up the enforcement of the fighting on the lower levels, but at the upper levels such as Juniors, it's still a major part of the game. I can still remember my son at a tryout camp for the Golden Horseshoe League and when the fights broke out in the tryouts the coach stopped the tryouts and told the players to take off their helmets if they were going to fight because he can fix a broken nose, but not a broken hand. The game needs to evolve. A few years ago we had Brian Campbell's hit on RJ Umberger that would probably draw a suspension today, but back then we all oohed and aahhed the hit. For those that love those hits, picture it being your own son or daughter on the receiving end of the hit. That perspective changes things dramatically. I don't have a favorite in the Stanley Cup Finals but I do enjoy good hockey and I really hope that this doesn't drop down to the street fighting level which it could very well. From a neutral standpoint, Rome's hit was flagrant and you have the end result that a good player was taken out by a marginal player.
