No surprise but Antipin is done for the year

[nucci]

Obviously it was not a legal hit, since the result was a major penalty.

 

It really looks that in slow motion the contact could have been avoided.  

 

Hartnell is the biggest ###### head in the league.  When will the NHL take this ###### seriously.  That jackass needs to be banned for life.

This is the same league that let Todd Bertuzzi continue playing. Don't expect things to change.

[wsam4031]

the sabres will keep having this happen to them because the other team can get away with it. This is a soft team with a soft coach that would rather dance then get dirty. Cant stand watching these soft  pansies. What happened to Antipin was a joke and Hartnell should've been suspended. But in this day in age of the nhl nobody knows anymore what constitutes a suspension. YOu have a meathead enforcer running player safety and handing out suspensions who has no clue what hes doing and a commissioner who should've been gone years ago. I LOVE HOCKEY but the nhl is getting tougher and tougher to watch. If they truly wan tot get rid of these hit then start hitting these players where it hurts and suspending them for 20, 30, 50 games. Ill bet you will see these types of hit decline real fast.

[Taro T]

Going a bit into left field, Call me a softy if you want. Call me a wimp if you want. But

these hits like Chara on Pacioretty, Lucic on Miller, Hartnell on Antipin, they make me

sick to my stomach.  I can handle playing hard, playing strong. I can even handle a

little wrestling/fighting. But this stuff is plain wrong.  I heard the Instigators talking about

how a serious hockey player would go out and try to injure Austin Mathews.  Those

bums should be off the radio. 

 

Y'all give your opinions. Some of you do it quite frankly. So, here I go with the reasons

for my opinions.

 

It's not that it just that goons bother me, it's that it bothers God's Spirit in me.  There I go into

left field.  But, my stomach turns, and God's Spirit churns when it sees mindless violence.

So, it's not just my opinion.  I can speak somewhat authoritatively that God doesn't

like goons and thugs.  King David had his mighty men of valor; ninja like soldiers who

lived by a code of ethics.  I'm sure Andrew Peters has never heard of such a thing

as he's seen on camera getting into a fracas with youth players while still on the bench.

 

 

Sorry.  My mind goes into many directions and weaves it all together into a nice basket case. :P

We all go into left field from time to time. It's all good.

 

You might want to have Drunkard (alkoholist) on ignore for a day or 2 though, 'cause he will almost certainly rake this post over the coals excessively.

[GASabresIUFAN]

The DoPS should have suspended him even if they felt it was “a hockey” play. Why? Because it was a completely un-necessary hockey play. Hartnell acknowledges the puck was already gone, the video shows at least Hartnell could see Victors back and play was going the other way. How did “finishing” his check help his team? Why was such a violent check necessary. It was a stupid play by a once productive player who is playing out the string of his career. The suspension should have been for stupidity and to send a message that this kind of stupidity won’t be tolerated. Laviolette’s comments after the game on Hartnell’s stupidity are pretty clear.

 

I won’t be surprised if he doesn’t see the ice for the remainder of the season and maybe into the playoffs.

[Rasmus_]

First off the hit was completely unnecessary.  He was cycling the puck the opposite way, yes a little contact makes sense, but to bury your shoulder into him like that.  What !  Antipin, my prayers go out to you and your family.  I hope you make a speedy and safe recovery.

[Jacque Richard]

Second rate league, when this stuff doesn’t get penalized

[Eleven]

I saw this as a phone hearing with a possible no suspension, but would be considered a repeat offender.  I do think that should have happened, at least.

 

The consequences were much worse than the hit.  And if we want to start punishing the act and not the consequence (and I think many/most of us do), well, the act here wasn't *that* bad.  We've all seen that play a hundred times where no one is hurt and no one gets a five minute major--sometimes not a penalty at all.

[woods-racer]

DoPS has to be looking at it as a standard hockey play and Antipin knew what was coming ( he turned and looked) and should have done something to protect himself.  The actions taken by the referee where warranted and enough of a penalty for the infraction. 

[inkman]

DoPS has to be looking at it as a standard hockey play and Antipin knew what was coming ( he turned and looked) and should have done something to protect himself. The actions taken by the referee where warranted and enough of a penalty for the infraction.

This mentality has to stop. Where do you draw the line? He signed up to play hockey therefore he should expect to get seriously injured due to others unwarrented violence? I'm as blood thirsty as the next guy but the whole blaming the victim mentality needs to go away. What Hartnell did was not a hockey play. You shouldn't have to anticipate other players being dirty.

[woods-racer]

This mentality has to stop. Where do you draw the line? He signed up to play hockey therefore he should expect to get seriously injured due to others unwarrented violence? I'm as blood thirsty as the next guy but the whole blaming the victim mentality needs to go away. What Hartnell did was not a hockey play. You shouldn't have to anticipate other players being dirty.

 

I'm not saying it's right or wrong. It's the only way they can justify no interview with Hartnell. Love to hear an official response from DoPS on the hit, I'm sure the Sabres management is pressing for one, but I doubt we hear a word about it.

[PASabreFan]

This mentality has to stop. Where do you draw the line? He signed up to play hockey therefore he should expect to get seriously injured due to others unwarrented violence? I'm as blood thirsty as the next guy but the whole blaming the victim mentality needs to go away. What Hartnell did was not a hockey play. You shouldn't have to anticipate other players being dirty.

These plays happen so much faster than we realize. You're allowed to finish your check even if the puck is gone. I think the NHL has narrowed that time frame down (less than a second I think). Antipin can't think that because he got rid of the puck, he's in the clear. I wonder what his physical readiness was. Does your neck whiplash like that if you're stiffened and ready? He was like a guy standing on the corner smoking a cig.

 

I think the game some people are envisioning is pretty close to no checking hockey. No one wants that. Remember that the cleanest big hits are still extremely violent. It's pretty arbitrary to say Brian Campbell's hit on Umberger was clean as a whistle, but Lucic is an axe murderer.

[Wyldnwoody44]

I didn't see it real time, but it didn't seem as bad to me as most here, the outcome sucked, but if it weren't for the outcome, most wouldn't blink an eye

[shrader]

These plays happen so much faster than we realize. You're allowed to finish your check even if the puck is gone. I think the NHL has narrowed that time frame down (less than a second I think). Antipin can't think that because he got rid of the puck, he's in the clear. I wonder what his physical readiness was. Does your neck whiplash like that if you're stiffened and ready? He was like a guy standing on the corner smoking a cig.

 

I think the game some people are envisioning is pretty close to no checking hockey. No one wants that. Remember that the cleanest big hits are still extremely violent. It's pretty arbitrary to say Brian Campbell's hit on Umberger was clean as a whistle, but Lucic is an axe murderer.

 

Sure you can finish a hit after the puck is gone.  What you can't do is finish the hit when two giant numbers are staring you in the face.  Antipin knew it was coming, last second he gets his left arm up to brace for contact along the boards.  What he's not expecting is for the hit to be so high and from his left.  If you anticipate contact from one direction, but then get it from another, any attempt at bracing for impact isn't going to do you much good.

 

People aren't asking for a contact-free game, they're asking for a game where people don't get hit from behind or in the head.  The former has never been legal in this game.

[Drunkard]

We all go into left field from time to time. It's all good.

 

You might want to have Drunkard (alkoholist) on ignore for a day or 2 though, 'cause he will almost certainly rake this post over the coals excessively.

Not really. I actually agree with a lot of his post, minus the religious babble. Patrick Kaleta was my favorite player and they ran him out of the league for all of his questionable and dirty hits, so if fair was fair the same would happen to Hartnell and any other player that repeatedly injures others with dirty hits. Like many others, I'd prefer consistency in the punishment process.

 

For the record I don't care that people are religious in their personal lives. I have concerns if/when people in positions of power (coaches, owners, GM's, politicians, teachers, school boards, etc) use their personal beliefs to normalize their personal belief structures as standards that should be adhered to by everyone. That isn't the case here so it doesn't bother me one iota.

Edited April 2, 2018 by Alkoholist

[Sabre fan]

this is the typical mentality of far too many including NHL brass..oh it was his fault because of this and that. What a crock...just because a player is left open to be crushed from behind as he reacts to the play is no reason to do so nor is it a valid reason to blame the victim. I guess those stupid people that get shot and killed should not have been at school or at that outdoor concert too! the NHL continues to blame the victim and will do so til one of those victims is killed.  

Edited April 2, 2018 by Sabre fan

[hsif]

Another unfortunate reality in the application of discipline in the NHL is that the "star-power" of the victim is considered.  I have a hard time believing that there would be no hearing if the victim in this case were a league superstar.

[Skibum]

But how much damage could have been done by the impact with the glass?

It looks like his face smashed into the support post between the panes of plexiglass. I'm guessing that's a big reason there was so much damage. 

[Taro T]

It looks like his face smashed into the support post between the panes of plexiglass. I'm guessing that's a big reason there was so much damage.

 

If you are referring to him being knocked out by the initial hit, quite possibly. If you are speculating that's where the majority of the non-concussion damage occurred, that's doubtful. That post along with the rest of the boards deflecting away from him as he was driven into them mitigates far more force from the impact than the not flexible sheet of ice that his face hit from 6' away. Most of the structural/cosmetic injuries occurred when his face plunged to the ice.

[PASabreFan]

The Eskimos used to plunge their faces into the snow, right, Eleven? And they're fine. I question Antipin's toughness.

[Eleven]

The Eskimos used to plunge their faces into the snow, right, Eleven? And they're fine. I question Antipin's toughness.

 

You're eating too much dairy.

[Mustache of God]

Have we seen the last of Victor Antipin in a Sabres uniform?

 

Has the Antipin experiment been a failure, another Murray whiff (I know Jbot signed him but GMTM did the legwork)? I think yes. He only played 47 games and for someone billed as an offensive D-man I was hoping to see him put up more than 10 points (all assists, no goals). Those 10 points somehow have him 4th in defense scoring on the team, which is to say, woof. That's horrible output from the D, scoring is a problem with the whole team but maybe the lack of defensive offense is where the problem starts? I don't know.

 

He's an RFA after this season so it will be interesting if Botteril keeps him around...I can't imagine he'd earn a pay raise so he'd be had at the cheap. I wonder if he wants to say in the NHL as a schlub or go back to the KHL where he was a star.

 

Our defense next year projects as:

 

Scandella - Risto

McCabe - Bogo

Baloo - Guhle

 

Falk/Nelson - UFAs , Antipin - RFA,

 

If I'm Nelson I'm testing the market to sign a 1-year deal with a playoff team, put himself around good players to make him look better and earn an longer term deal for more money the next year. Sabres are going to have to over-pay for him if they want him to stay and I'm not sure that's going to happen. I'm hoping trades are made during the off-season to bring in some more help on D so we don't have to resign Falk.

 

That leaves Antipin as an RFA to potentially be our 7th D (more likely 6th as Bogo being injured is a sure bet). Does he resign? Does JBot want him? My guess is no. I think Botteril will target a mid-range Dman in FA that will replace the need for Antipin and get more consistent performance / hopefully some veteran presence (we have to replace that intangible for Georges, right?).

 

This also depends on the Dahlin sweepstakes but I'm not holding my breath.

[rjones71]

The Eskimos used to plunge their faces into the snow, right, Eleven? And they're fine. I question Antipin's toughness.

But Antipin isn't an Eskimo.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

This mentality has to stop. Where do you draw the line? He signed up to play hockey therefore he should expect to get seriously injured due to others unwarrented violence? I'm as blood thirsty as the next guy but the whole blaming the victim mentality needs to go away. What Hartnell did was not a hockey play. You shouldn't have to anticipate other players being dirty.

 

Thank you.

 

These plays happen so much faster than we realize. You're allowed to finish your check even if the puck is gone. I think the NHL has narrowed that time frame down (less than a second I think). Antipin can't think that because he got rid of the puck, he's in the clear. I wonder what his physical readiness was. Does your neck whiplash like that if you're stiffened and ready? He was like a guy standing on the corner smoking a cig.

 

I think the game some people are envisioning is pretty close to no checking hockey. No one wants that. Remember that the cleanest big hits are still extremely violent. It's pretty arbitrary to say Brian Campbell's hit on Umberger was clean as a whistle, but Lucic is an axe murderer.

 

There is a big difference between Campbell's hit and Lucic's hit and this hit on Antipin.

 

Sure you can finish a hit after the puck is gone.  What you can't do is finish the hit when two giant numbers are staring you in the face.  Antipin knew it was coming, last second he gets his left arm up to brace for contact along the boards.  What he's not expecting is for the hit to be so high and from his left.  If you anticipate contact from one direction, but then get it from another, any attempt at bracing for impact isn't going to do you much good.

 

People aren't asking for a contact-free game, they're asking for a game where people don't get hit from behind or in the head.  The former has never been legal in this game.

 

This is exactly correct.  Hockey is rough sport, but it should not be violent.

 

Another unfortunate reality in the application of discipline in the NHL is that the "star-power" of the victim is considered.  I have a hard time believing that there would be no hearing if the victim in this case were a league superstar.

 

This, I believe, also comes into play, unfortunately.

[Eleven]

Have we seen the last of Victor Antipin in a Sabres uniform?

 

Has the Antipin experiment been a failure, another Murray whiff (I know Jbot signed him but GMTM did the legwork)? I think yes. He only played 47 games and for someone billed as an offensive D-man I was hoping to see him put up more than 10 points (all assists, no goals). Those 10 points somehow have him 4th in defense scoring on the team, which is to say, woof. That's horrible output from the D, scoring is a problem with the whole team but maybe the lack of defensive offense is where the problem starts? I don't know.

 

He's an RFA after this season so it will be interesting if Botteril keeps him around...I can't imagine he'd earn a pay raise so he'd be had at the cheap. I wonder if he wants to say in the NHL as a schlub or go back to the KHL where he was a star.

 

Our defense next year projects as:

 

Scandella - Risto

McCabe - Bogo

Baloo - Guhle

 

Falk/Nelson - UFAs , Antipin - RFA,

 

If I'm Nelson I'm testing the market to sign a 1-year deal with a playoff team, put himself around good players to make him look better and earn an longer term deal for more money the next year. Sabres are going to have to over-pay for him if they want him to stay and I'm not sure that's going to happen. I'm hoping trades are made during the off-season to bring in some more help on D so we don't have to resign Falk.

 

That leaves Antipin as an RFA to potentially be our 7th D (more likely 6th as Bogo being injured is a sure bet). Does he resign? Does JBot want him? My guess is no. I think Botteril will target a mid-range Dman in FA that will replace the need for Antipin and get more consistent performance / hopefully some veteran presence (we have to replace that intangible for Georges, right?).

 

This also depends on the Dahlin sweepstakes but I'm not holding my breath.

 

You'd rather have Falk and/or Nelson than Antipin?

[dudacek]

I think this board has done a fair amount of projection with Antipin and cut him more slack than other players. He’s been worse than McCabe in a bad season and definitely behind Nelson in terms of poise and Guhle in terms of skill. Beaulieu for all his mental issues has better tools.

 

He’s not strong and he’s not as fast as those choppy strides make him look.

 

I like his attitude and his stick skills and think he has untapped upside on the offensive blueline.

I hope they resign him and he takes a jump in year two after shaking off the culture shock.

But he should have been in Rochester this year.

Edited April 2, 2018 by dudacek