"If this hit and other types of hits like this are not suspended, we are opening up the possibility of losing goaltenders to injury. And not just injury, but concussion," Regier said. "... When I look at the position of goaltending, in a lot of ways it's not unlike quarterback in football. I feel very strongly the protection has to be provided and players committing these types of action should be punished."

Maybe you shouldn't let your goaltender leave the crease. Maybe the fine should go to the goalie for leaving, or the suspension to the coach for not coaching him to stay in his farking crease. Just a thought.

NHL rule 69.4. ...A goalkeeper is not "fair game" just because he is outside the goal crease....

http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=26480

There is no such thing as a legit hit on the goalie.

Is he attending a hearing, or is it over the phone? I thought I heard that he was at practice this morning outside Boston so I was led to believe he would be phoning it in.

/Just like the rest of the Sabres roster

Has anybody watched the video of that hit? It sure looked to me like Lucic threw his arms and elbows into MIller's head, which isn't really cool to do to anybody when they are turning away. Not cool and not legit.

/And I don't care for either team, so have no axe to grind here.

kenfury: NHL rule 69.4. ...A goalkeeper is not "fair game" just because he is outside the goal crease....
http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=26480

What do they think they are? Quarterbacks??

kenfury: NHL rule 69.4. ...A goalkeeper is not "fair game" just because he is outside the goal crease....

http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=26480

Also: Tables 18-2-C, 18-4-B and 18-7-A:

Link (new window)

I can't believe that not one Sabre stepped up and did something, Lucic wants to play dirty he should have caught an elbow to the jaw on the next shift and when the Bruins went up by three goals Thomas should have gotten run a few times.

Evil Canadian: Has anybody watched the video of that hit? It sure looked to me like Lucic threw his arms and elbows into MIller's head, which isn't really cool to do to anybody when they are turning away. Not cool and not legit.

/And I don't care for either team, so have no axe to grind here.

+1 on both counts.

Evil Canadian: Has anybody watched the video of that hit? It sure looked to me like Lucic threw his arms and elbows into MIller's head, which isn't really cool to do to anybody when they are turning away. Not cool and not legit.




That's what it looked like to me too.

Chak: I can't believe that not one Sabre stepped up and did something, Lucic wants to play dirty he should have caught an elbow to the jaw on the next shift and when the Bruins went up by three goals Thomas should have gotten run a few times.

This.

Also, it looked like Lucic directly targeted the head which is a suspension even if a player that he is allowed to hit.

Between the Miller hit and the ridiculous hack on Vanek's ankle in the playoffs in 2010, it is clear that the Bruins do not think the Sabres will stand up to them, and are also not above breaking the rules to deliberately injure their best players. Until the Sabres prove otherwise on the former, the latter will continue. I expect Kassian or a total goon to be called up before the next game.

owen nolan approves

shiryatsya: Evil Canadian: Has anybody watched the video of that hit? It sure looked to me like Lucic threw his arms and elbows into MIller's head, which isn't really cool to do to anybody when they are turning away. Not cool and not legit.

That's what it looked like to me too.

Draw your own conclusions (clickity-poppety)

Dude's at the face-off dot when he gets popped, and Lucic stopped skating and didn't jump or anything. From the behind the net view, though, looks like he did get the arms up high and shoot an elbow towards the grill.

I dunno, nothing too uproarious except it's against a goalie and caused a concussion. Anybody else on the ice, you'd just tell them to keep their head up, but yeah, a goalie is kind of special.

Headline FAIL

Here's the play, in case you haven't seen it.

Link (new window)

Yeah, definitely threw an arm into Miller's head.

Evil Canadian: Has anybody watched the video of that hit? It sure looked to me like Lucic threw his arms and elbows into MIller's head, which isn't really cool to do to anybody when they are turning away. Not cool and not legit.

That's what I saw.

Chak: Thomas should have gotten run a few times

That would only result in more Sabres with concussions. In Soviet Boston, Goalie runs you!

OTOH it's Buffalo own fault for having a soft top 6. The fact the Lucic was allowed to walk away from that and Thomas wasnt run speaks volumes about Buffalo's team toughness and mentality. Come they playoffs they will be just like the Canucks; a more skilled team that cant do the dirty work and over a seven game series will be out hit. Playing in the division with Toronto and Boston they need a top 6 player who can throw down when needed.

I havent seen any video of the play, but after I do I will have strong opinions about it one way or the other.

It was a stupid move by Lucic. Give him a few games.

And, to echo Chak's sentiment, Sabres sure lacked some balls in that game if they could watch Miller get steamrolled like that and just shrug. Some things you can just wait "later" in the season series to get payback. Nothing involving your #1 goalie deserves patience.

/B's fan

It was close to a full second from the time Miller touched the puck and more than that from the time Lucic mishandled it.

Dirty hit

You know it's getting bad when the trolls start abusing the hockey headlines.

kenfury: OTOH it's Buffalo own fault for having a soft top 6. The fact the Lucic was allowed to walk away from that and Thomas wasnt run speaks volumes about Buffalo's team toughness and mentality

This represents the mental disorder of a hockey fan. Buffalo should try to illegally injur the Boston goalie or Lucic, and if they don't they're soft.

Time to ship out Miller. Trade him for a physical force with balls.

Apparently Lucic had his head down and didn't look up in time to avoid Miller. That's a pretty lame excuse but I guess we'll see what happens. I don't think it looks too good for Lucic based on the fact that a hearing was announced a few hours after the game.

Subby, I give you a 2/10 on the trolly headline, I don't think anyone on the Bruins would be too happy if Thomas gets taken out and there's no hearing or suspension.

No suspension. Honestly I'm a bit suprised given Lucic's past.

Hrmm.. I wonder if Mr. Joe Finley(6'8" 260 lbs) is going to be getting a call up from the AHL on November 23rd...

I'm surprised if Lucic didn't get a game or two.

I thought he'd get a fine, maybe a game. It wasn't like he simply ran into Miller. He actively hit him. My guess is that the NHL is sending a message to goalies. Come out to challenge like that and there might be consequences for you.

Yay, no suspension. Right call. No intent to harm. The 2 minutes he got on the ice is sufficent.

Wow...

I guess he didn't get suspended.

NHL release on the matter:
Link (new window)

MugzyBrown: kenfury: OTOH it's Buffalo own fault for having a soft top 6. The fact the Lucic was allowed to walk away from that and Thomas wasnt run speaks volumes about Buffalo's team toughness and mentality

This represents the mental disorder of a hockey fan. Buffalo should try to illegally injur the Boston goalie or Lucic, and if they don't they're soft.

You wanna know how to get the Cup? They pull a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. *That's* the *Chicago* way! And that's how you get the Cup. Now do you want to do that? Are you ready to do that? I'm offering you a deal. Do you want this deal?

After running Ryan Miller, Lucic allegedly slammed his cell phone to the ice and yelled 'Do you know who I am?'

MugzyBrown: kenfury: OTOH it's Buffalo own fault for having a soft top 6. The fact the Lucic was allowed to walk away from that and Thomas wasnt run speaks volumes about Buffalo's team toughness and mentality

This represents the mental disorder of a hockey fan. Buffalo should try to illegally injur the Boston goalie or Lucic, and if they don't they're soft.

Know how I know you're not a hockey fan? Anyway, kenfury is right. Thomas even said after the game that he was surprised he wasn't hit. You don't have to injure him, just send a message that, as a team, you won't tolerate running the goalie. The only respectable power-forward in Buffalo's lineup is Kaleta, and it has already been discussed that he was coming off a 4-game suspension and couldn't do anything. I was flabbergasted for the rest of the game as to why there was no retribution for the hit. I'm wondering if Miller isn't actually concussed and he basically told Ruff and the team "fark you for doing nothing, I'm taking a vacation" (see Patrick Roy's exit from the Canadiens due to the team hanging him out to dry).

MugzyBrown: kenfury: OTOH it's Buffalo own fault for having a soft top 6. The fact the Lucic was allowed to walk away from that and Thomas wasnt run speaks volumes about Buffalo's team toughness and mentality

This represents the mental disorder of a hockey fan. Buffalo should try to illegally injur the Boston goalie or Lucic, and if they don't they're soft.

Not quite. It's more along the lines of the bully vs. wimpy kid thought process. The bully will keep messing with you until you stand up to him. If you don't, they know you're fair game and will continue to come at you.

Granted, as someone who has played hockey, I think that Lucic should be suspended for at least five games.

MugzyBrown

We're not talking about illegally injuring somebody, just making him face the consequences of his actions. As a Sabres fan I am thoroughly disgusted with the team's lack of response. Looch should have had to drop the gloves with whoever was on the ice the moment he got out of the box. There should have been a line of Sabres waiting for him. The fact that he didn't have to fight tells me the team needs a spine implant.

Anderson's Pooper: MugzyBrown

We're not talking about illegally injuring somebody, just making him face the consequences of his actions. As a Sabres fan I am thoroughly disgusted with the team's lack of response. Looch should have had to drop the gloves with whoever was on the ice the moment he got out of the box. There should have been a line of Sabres waiting for him. The fact that he didn't have to fight tells me the team needs a spine implant.

Do you think Miller is actually concussed? I think he is disgusted with the team as well.

HarpuaMM: Know how I know you're not a hockey fan?

I've been a hockey fan for a good 20 years, but thanks.

HarpuaMM: I was flabbergasted for the rest of the game as to why there was no retribution for the hit

There shouldn't be retribution. The whole mentality is idiotic. Ohh take a run at Thomas.. oops 2 minutes for interference, oops goal Boston, oops we lost.

How about you score on the powerplay you're given and you win the game?

Ohh you can send your big, slow, unskilled guy to go out there and grab his jersey, punch him in the helmet and fall down. That'll learn 'em.

Marks Nov 23rd on the calendar.

HarpuaMM: The only respectable power-forward in Buffalo's lineup is Kaleta, and it has already been discussed that he was coming off a 4-game suspension and couldn't do anything.

Both McCormick and Gaustad would fare better in a fight w/ Lucic anyway. Kaleta is mostly a pest.

Anderson's Pooper: Marks Nov 23rd on the calendar.
Aye.
Day before Thanksgiving. Perfect night to go to the bar and get tanked watching a hockey game. It's just not a proper Turkey day if you're not hungover!