NHL will not suspend Pens' Malkin

[Dr. Lecter]

DETROIT -- Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin won't be suspended for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals despite drawing an instigator penalty in the final 19 seconds of a 3-1 loss to Detroit in Game 2 on Sunday night.

Under NHL rules, any player drawing an instigating penalty in the final five minutes is to be suspended for the next game, but the rule allows considerable flexibility depending on the circumstances.

"None of the criteria in this rule applied in this situation," NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell said in a statement issued by the league about an hour after the game ended. "Suspensions are applied under this rule when a team attempts to send a message in the last five minutes by having a player instigate a fight. A suspension could also be applied when a player seeks retribution for a prior incident. Neither was the case here and therefore the one game suspension is rescinded."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs/2009/news?id=4220529

Ummmmm... Wasn't Malkin seeking retribution for Zetterberg hitting his teammate? HTF does the rule not apply?

[LtFinFan66]

Because it's Malkin...duh

[Dr. Lecter]

I think it is more because it is a big name (any big name) and it is the SCF.

The NHL sometimes does not like to follow their own rulebook in the SCF. They would have done the same for Crosby, Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Hossa, Datsyuk (if he was playing), etc.

They look bush league doing this.

[LtFinFan66]

their ratings are hurting enough as it is I would guess

[Nighthawk]

And this is why the NHL is a joke to most of the sports world. They can't even follow their own rules! Bush league!

[Nighthawk]

I think it is more because it is a big name (any big name) and it is the SCF.

The NHL sometimes does not like to follow their own rulebook in the SCF. They would have done the same for Crosby, Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Hossa, Datsyuk (if he was playing), etc.

They look bush league doing this.

Ha, ha...I didn't even read this before I wrote my previous post...pretty funny, we were thinking the same way.

[rbochan]

NHL uses only rules that are convenient (http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=Ajz.50eRWjZnzf5d.phQ_X45nYcB?slug=jp-malkin053109&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)

The National Hockey League rule book spells out 87 rules and hundreds of sub-rules that govern its game. There is an 88th rule that goes unwritten: The league’s braintrust can invalidate any of the others, so long as it behooves their short-sighted and selfish interests...

[OpIv37]

The only criteria that applies is the ability to sell tickets/jerseys and attract viewers. If it were a 4th line winger that no one outside of Pittsburgh has ever heard of, the guy would be sitting tonight. But there is no way in hell the NHL is going to sit one of their most marketable players during the finals.

Think Kaleta, Brashear or Avery would be playing if they did the same thing? Not ****ing likely.

It's very bush-league and I'm sick of this NHL fence-sitting on the fighting issue. The hardcore fans like the fighting, but the violence is one of the things that reduces the sport's mass appeal. So the NHL wants to appease the hardcore fans by allowing fighting while at the same time appease the masses by appearing to limit/reduce fighting.

Either let them fight (my personal preference) or have the balls to take it out completely, but don't make up these BS fighting rules only to invoke them only when they are convenient.

[SabreEleven]

NHL uses only rules that are convenient (http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=Ajz.50eRWjZnzf5d.phQ_X45nYcB?slug=jp-malkin053109&prov=yhoo&type=lgns)

The National Hockey League rule book spells out 87 rules and hundreds of sub-rules that govern its game. There is an 88th rule that goes unwritten: The league’s braintrust can invalidate any of the others, so long as it behooves their short-sighted and selfish interests...

Like ignoring a foot in the crease?

[Ebenezer]

Like ignoring a foot in the crease?
Or ignoring when Mario Lemieux threw a stick at a referee from across the ice???

[JD]

They would never suspend him, that would take away from the competitiveness of the game. Now, if it was a Detroit player.. I could see it happening because it would help Pittsburgh extend the series equaling more $$ for the league.

[Dr. Lecter]

Ha, ha...I didn't even read this before I wrote my previous post...pretty funny, we were thinking the same way.

Funny and scary! :D

[SabreEleven]

more scary

[LtFinFan66]

Or ignoring when Mario Lemieux threw a stick at a referee from across the ice???figures Frank would get a stab in at the pens

[SabreEleven]

or when what's his face from the Penguins threw the puck in the stands and scored the game winning goal in OT like a minute later.

[SabreEleven]

Darius Kasperitius...that is that dick heads name.

[LtFinFan66]

or when what's his face from the Penguins threw the puck in the stands and scored the game winning goal in OT like a minute later.what's wrong with that? I am sure a fan appreciated that

[Ebenezer]

figures Frank would get a stab in at the pens
it happened...the league never did anything about it...

[LtFinFan66]

it happened...the league never did anything about it...and how years did you go back to take a dig at Super Mario?

[Ebenezer]

and how years did you go back to take a dig at Super Mario?
Actually, I've brought it up numerous times when I've discussed the NHL and their double standard. You'll forgive me if I can't remember the other times a superstar whipped his stick at an on ice official during a game...I probably only remember this one because it happened in Buffalo.

[LtFinFan66]

Seems like you guys have a hard on for Pens superstars

[Ebenezer]

Seems like you guys have a hard on for Pens superstars
nope...I love hockey but hate it's double standards. Nik Andropov got three games for throwing a stick at a ref why didn't Mario? Find me an incident where Gretzky threw his stick at a ref and I'll complain about that too. I'd complain about the Mario incident regardless who he played for.

[LtFinFan66]

Or ignoring when Mario Lemieux threw a stick at a referee from across the ice???do you have a link to this? I was just wondering what happened to cause it

[Ebenezer]

do you have a link to this? I was just wondering what happened to cause it
a link to something that happened sometime around 1989?? Not likely. I've looked a bundle of times. From what I remember Mario was ticked because he was shut down when the Sabres were double teaming him all night and he wanted interference calls and the ref shooed him off. Also, if memory serves the game was not on TV and the only reply was caught by a local TV station.

[Ebenezer]

do you have a link to this? I was just wondering what happened to cause it
I found a link to Ed Belfour breaking and stick and then throwing it at a referee while he was in his prime...didn't get suspended...I can add that to my list - and he wasn't a Penguin.

[clumping platelets]

The NHL sometimes does not like to follow their own rulebook in the SCF.



NO GOAL!

[JD]

"NHL Hockey Operations also determined that Malkin should have been assessed a game misconduct for not having his jersey tied down."

[Dr. Lecter]

There are a lot of allegations coming out of the Detroit Red Wings dressing room regarding the 'too many men non-call' against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 3. Allegations to the point that there are suggestions Dennis LaRue, who was one of the two veteran referees on the ice, was allegedly yelling at the Penguins players to get off. I don't know that the video evidence supports that; this might just be part of the gamesmanship that goes on. We do know that Detroit has had some issues with the officiating and this might just be a part of the sour grapes aspect.

http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/darren_dreger/?id=280803

I saw a clip of this last night. The Pens had 6 skaters on the ice for 21 seconds.

[LtFinFan66]

there have been at least a couple non-calls on the Wings that led directly to goals. Maybe that was a make-up non-call. The Wings definitely have no reason to *****

[OpIv37]

there have been at least a couple non-calls on the Wings that led directly to goals. Maybe that was a make-up non-call. The Wings definitely have no reason to *****

A non call is when there are six skaters on the ice for 3-4 seconds and it doesn't really impact the play.

A non call when 6 players are on the ice for 21 seconds is simply inexcusable. At best, it's piss-poor officiating, at worst, it's a blatant attempt to influence the outcome.

[Dr. Lecter]

He might be refering to the slash in game 1 that led to a Detroit goal. It was a questionable call at least.

[OpIv37]

He might be refering to the slash in game 1 that led to a Detroit goal. It was a questionable call at least.

fair enough but that's no excuse for the refs to allow Pittsburgh to skate around for 21 seconds with 6 guys on the ice 2 games later.

The NHL isn't going to win more fans until they get the officiating right. Making up for a bad call with a worse call 2 games later just destroys the credibility.

[Dr. Lecter]

I don't disagree at all.

The problem is also that they view the playoffs as being "different". The Versus announcers were commenting on how much they like that the other night. "Well, that would have been a penalty in the regular season, but not the playoffs. And that is a good thing!".

WTF???? Interference is interference. Slashing is slashing. And havign too many men is too many men. They are so afraid that a call will make a difference that they make no call and that makes a difference.

It is asinine.

[JD]

Anyone see the one penguins player crosscheck a guy in the corner.. in the neck? That was ****ed up!