It is an obvious trend of dirty play by the Philadelphia Flyers when that franchise has 50% (four of eight) of all suspensions handed out this season. When you see one franchise continually dish out dirty hits, you cannot simply say that it's a cosmic coincidence.Well, the NHL certainly didn't help matters by giving Scott Hartnell with a lame 2-game suspension for his cheap shot on Bruins d-man Andrew Alberts. With that slap on the wrist, the Flyers knew they could continue to be bullies.
With that in mind, Riley Cote of the Flyers, a pure talentless goon, had no fear of any serious punishment as he become the latest Flyers thug to cheap shot an opponent. His victim? Matt Niskanen of the Dallas Stars. With the Flyers well on their way to a loss, the Flyers decided to act like sore losers, and put themselves in line for a fifth suspension.
Riley Cote slammed into defenseman Matt Niskanen and got his forearm high on the Dallas player, driving his head into the glass and dislodging his helmet with 2:14 to play in Saturday night's game.
Cote received a 10-minute match penalty, which is an automatic league review.
If Cote is suspended, he joins Steve Downie (whose 20-gamer ended), Jesse Boulerice (10 games left on a 25-gamer), Randy Jones (two games) and Scott Hartnell (two-gamer ending Saturday night) on the Flyer "hit'' list.
Yes, folks, the Broad Street Bullies are back, and the NHL is content to sit by and allow the Flyers to have their way with opposing players. You can just imagine that any player on another team is worrying about just surviving a match against the Flyers without getting bug-squashed into the boards. This is not good for the safety of the players nor the image of the league. Fighting is great, but cheap shots are not.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-02-2007 @ 3:49PM
pstargalac said...
I'd be okay with this stuff if they were going after the likes of Darcy Tucker or Sean Avery... guys who have it coming. Dirty hits on dirty players. Unfortunately, that's not what this is.
I can't wait to see what the apologists say this time around. Let me hazard a guess: Niskanen never should have put his head down. He left himself open by skating onto the ice. He was just as much at fault as the guy who blah blah blah blah blah.
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12-02-2007 @ 3:49PM
Colonial said...
Maybe we'll hear the "its a coincidence, there is no pattern here" argument again?
I've been waiting for someone to take out a Philly star with a cheap hit. Its obvious the league isn't going to do anything serious to them, lets see how they feel if they lose a few of their better players.
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12-02-2007 @ 4:39PM
tom o'hanlon said...
It just seems that some teams are allowed to consistently play with an edge towards violence & other teams have every pissant call made on them.
Some
referees are so inconsistent with their calls that THEY cause the games to get out of hand.
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12-03-2007 @ 12:16AM
Greg Wyshynski said...
Countdown until we hear from the Flyers that Cote is misunderstood/a nice guy/loves puppies...
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12-03-2007 @ 12:15AM
Stu said...
Of course they have half the suspension. When an Ottawa player (McGratton) runs players it's allowed. When the league's favorite player (Pronger) instigates a fight in the last 5 mins of a game, Cambell rules that a suspension isn't warranted even though it is in the rules.
Cotes hit was not bad and did not deserve a Match Penalty. Stop the crying already. Maybe it's because I am on the East Coast, but I sure don't hear anyone crying about the big bad Ducks hitting people.
No one made a sound when Varada ran someone. Quit the whining, it's hockey.
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12-03-2007 @ 12:16AM
billparras6317 said...
lets go flyers! hockey is back!
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12-03-2007 @ 12:46PM
md said...
If you're going to call someone talentless, you should at least get your tenses right.
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12-12-2007 @ 9:02AM
Rick Sangano said...
"BACK WITH A VENGENCE" baby! and that's what the league or these "ice capades" watchers can't accept. This "witch hunt" going on by Bettman will go on for awhile and then he'll have to use another team for his doormat, maybe the Rangers, or Bruins, or Isles, but it will be another team on the East coast. Heaven forbid if he "microscoped" the Habs or the Leafs. Oh no, those teams follow the rules to the letter, yeah right!!
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