Puck Daddy - NHL

Two clips of Buffalo Sabres video this morning: One that is legitimately hilarious, and one that simply continues the comedy that is NHL supplementary discipline.

First, we'll have a laugh. The Willful Caboose posted this postgame interview with Sabres goalie Ryan Miller that features perhaps the funniest moment caught on tape in an NHL locker room since Sean Avery's press conference on his dating history. Check out Sabres tough guy Rob Ray, shocked and awed in the background:

Thanks to The Tick and Anne for the tips. The Caboose wondered what, exactly, Ray could have seen to get such a peculiar reaction. Two of the possibilities:

7. Patrick Kaleta walked up to the blackboard and solved the unsolvable physics problem that Lindy put up for the janitor to solve.

8. Toni Lydman transformed into a fighter plane and then back into a defenseman just to mess with Jason Pominville's mind.

Any ideas? Seriously, we haven't witnessed something this awkward in the background of an interview since Dustin Brown walked behind Derek Armstrong on ESPN. (For the dozen of you who got that reference, congrats; for the rest of you, we beg you not to search for the punch-line. Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Meanwhile, in a moment just as ridiculous as Ray's, but slightly less funny: How in the name of Chris Pronger can Maxim Lapierre of the Montreal Canadiens not receive a suspension for the following hit on Pat Kaleta?

The video quality is about that of a surveillance camera at a 7-Eleven, but you can see the hit from behind in question rather vividly from Saturday's game:

From WGR in Buffalo:

Pat Kaleta received a concussion after being hit from behind by the Canadiens Maxim Lapierre on Saturday. Lindy Ruff said the news is better than expected as he was clear all of yesterday and road the bike today. Ruff said after further testing, he may be able to practice Tuesday and could be available Wednesday.

The captain was not at all pleased about the hit. Craig Rivet said, "I think it was dirty. I know Lapierre's a hard working guy but he's also border line on the dirty side. That's the way he plays. Everybody's seen the hit and they have to address it, that's the bottom line. He saw Patty Kaleta's numbers and he still took strides and he still hit him. If there's no suspension, then it's all for nothing." Lapierre will not be suspended by the NHL as it's already looked at the play and ruled.

That last part was reiterated by Bob Gainey of the Canadiens, who defending Lapierre as a clean and humble player. The Gazette spoke with Lapierre, who received a two-minute penalty on the play, about the hit:

With 66 penalty minutes in 72 games, the 6-foot-2, 207-pound Lapierre can hardly be accused of being a headhunter, although he's starting to become a more complete player.

"It's sad that (Kaleta) suffered a concussion, but I wasn't going toward anybody. I was just doing my job," Lapierre explained. "I slowed down, but not enough, I guess."

Weak. Totally, completely weak. If we're the NHL, we post-facto suspend the dude for that defense of his actions. Here's some friendly advice: If you see the numbers and the back of a guy's head near the glass, maybe "slowing down" isn't going to be enough. Perhaps "total avoidance" or "not finishing your hit" would be optimal.

We don't want to take hitting out of hockey. We're not in favor of the draconian enforcement for hits to the head.

But on a play like this, it's such a basic picture that Bill Cosby should be drawing it with a bumblebee marker: Player has back turned; opponent skates in and hits him into the boards; player suffers concussion.

And League looks the other way.

As a hockey culture, we can't get outraged over players' brains turning into baby food over the course of their career and allow reckless plays to go virtually unpunished. No one's calling for a 10-gamer here; but putting the spotlight on a dangerous hit, and its consequences, for even a one-game suspension is positive prevention.

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  1. thewhitegoldwielder
    1. Posted by thewhitegoldwielder Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:06 pm EDT

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    What a load of crap. What were they thinking? I cant belive that even a Habs fan could say that the hit wasnt brutal and from behind. The NHL is a joke.
  2. Matt
    2. Posted by Matt Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:18 pm EDT

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    It's okay because it was Kaleta that got hit.
    Kaleta eats babies, is hiding the cure for cancer and AIDS, and was the cause of both World Wars. Or so I'm told by every other team's fans.
  3. Wyshynski
    3. Posted by Wyshynski Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:21 pm EDT

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    @ Matt --
    I'm pretty sure those are the lyrics to a Stephen Lynch song.
  4. Fin-atic
    4. Posted by Fin-atic Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:25 pm EDT

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    I think it was a perfect hit - If you don't like Kaleta.
    Seriously though, a cheap shot. Not on the level of Todd "sucker-punch" Bertuzzi, but still a cheap one.
  5. Duffman
    5. Posted by Duffman Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:00 pm EDT

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    Clearly a suspendable hit...it wasn't as if Kaleta turned at the last moment to draw a penalty.
    The question is: how many games suspension for a hit like that? You clearly thought that 2 games for Randy Jones' hit on Bergeron wasn't enough, but you say that 10 games for an intentional hit like that is too many???
  6. LeNoceur
    6. Posted by LeNoceur Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:09 pm EDT

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    It's simple once you understand the NHL's "Big Wheel O' Discipline" system. Max just got lucky and landed on FREE PASS.
  7. Hangovers are for the weak
    7. Posted by Hangovers are for the weak Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:47 pm EDT

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    I'm glad I didn't find video of the Dustin Brown - Derek Armstrong incident, but still funny. Maybe Rob saw that hit on ESPN with the header "D-bag not suspended for cheap shot."
  8. CharM
    8. Posted by CharM Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:15 pm EDT

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    //If you see the numbers and the back of a guy's head near the glass, maybe "slowing down" isn't going to be enough. Perhaps "total avoidance" or "not finishing your hit" would be optimal.//
    No, no! It was totally Kaleta's own fault! He shouldn't have turned his back to the play! That's a legal hit! That's hockey! - Flyers fans
    Seriously, that's a no-brainer suspension. But just like anything else, it's going to take somebody ending up dead or in a wheelchair before the NHL takes serious action on these hits.
  9. TheTick
    9. Posted by TheTick Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:29 pm EDT

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    Miller obviously saw something too, check out his double take...BUT WHAT?? Does Dominic Moore have a hot wife that walked into the locker room or something?
    As soon as that hit went down, I knew Lappy wouldn't be suspended. punk should've taken his medicine from Rivet too, and not let his teammate step in and get handled.
  10. The Bog
    10. Posted by The Bog Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:11 pm EDT

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    This hit happens to someone of a slightly higher profile, its 2 games minimum.
  11. joe h
    11. Posted by joe h Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:26 pm EDT

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    My interwebz skills are lacking, because I can't find anything about this Dustin Brown incident.
  12. Louis-Philippe
    12. Posted by Louis-Philippe Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:17 pm EDT

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    Kaleta had a good 5 seconds to make the play. He knew a hit was coming but decided to stay 3 feet from the boards... tough luck
  13. N. Y. NIGHTMARE
    13. Posted by N. Y. NIGHTMARE Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:06 pm EDT

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    Im pretty sure Rob Ray caught a glimpse of Tim Connolys gucchi pouch.
  14. Got Stanley?
    14. Posted by Got Stanley? Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:11 pm EDT

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    Mad props for the Picture Pages reference, Wysh.
    Yeah, that's a dirty hit. Nasty, nasty stuff.
  15. A Yahoo! User
    15. Posted by A Yahoo! User Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:08 pm EDT

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    Well now that we know the league feels that hit is OK, I don't see any reason why Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin, Kane, etc. won't be taken out of a game here or there. I mean, two minutes for removing the other teams best scoring threat is totally worth it. Thanks NHL!
  16. Jeanette K
    16. Posted by Jeanette K Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:09 pm EDT

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    definitely deserved a suspension. doesn't matter if the player is "dirty" or not, the hit was dangerous and that's all that needs to be considered
  17. CharM
    17. Posted by CharM Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:15 pm EDT

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    LOL @ Louis-Philippe.
    See how quickly someone jumps to to rationalize that hit?
  18. Shea E
    18. Posted by Shea E Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:55 pm EDT

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    can't confirm it, but i hear that the howard simon show asked rob ray and he responded "the canadian press". which is a nice bs answer, mystery still exists. funny video.
    i don't even want to touch the kaleta hit, the league's reaction disgusts me.
  19. swrbuffalo
    19. Posted by swrbuffalo Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:52 pm EDT

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    Louis - Phillippe: Screw you and your fish eatin' buddies, that was dirty and you know it. If you don't see it than you are a bigger idiot than Bettman and Milbury combined.
  20. steve b
    20. Posted by steve b Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:17 pm EDT

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    And he must be a Flyers fan, right CharM?
    Douche.
  21. Garth the Hoser
    21. Posted by Garth the Hoser Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:06 pm EDT

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    Louise writes: "Kaleta had a good 5 seconds to make the play. He knew a hit was coming but decided to stay 3 feet from the boards... tough luck "
    She was dressed provocatively. She was flirting with the guys at the bar all night. She went back into the alley alone. She deserved it. etc.
    Idiot logic from idiot, blood-thirsty fans.
  22. thewhitegoldwielder
    22. Posted by thewhitegoldwielder Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:06 pm EDT

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    Wow he had 5 seconds so he was fair game. If he had 7 seconds he could have been shived. And if god forbid he had 10 secs, he could have been shot in the back of the head with a 9mm. What kind of hoser logic is that?
  23. swrbuffalo
    23. Posted by swrbuffalo Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:52 pm EDT

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    Shea E - the league in general is starting to really disgust me.....
  24. Jagr-Meister
    24. Posted by Jagr-Meister Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:02 pm EDT

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    Definately a suspendable hit, and I'm a Habs fan.
    If one of my players got hit like that I would want the guy to be suspended.
    The only reason I think they didn't suspend him is because Kaleta went into the boards upright instead of hunched and over head first.
    The refs probably saw it in real time as if he was trying to pin him to the boards, but that doesn't explain what the review board saw.

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